Ways to say it better

“​Supposedly​”​ ​vs.​ ​“​Supposably​”​:​ ​Yes,​ ​There​ ​Is​ ​A​ ​Difference​

 

Recently,​ ​we​ ​added​ ​the​ ​word​ ​supposably​ ​to​ ​our​ ​dictionary.​ ​And,​ ​what​ ​do​ ​you​ ​suppose​ ​happened?

 

For​ ​one​ ​thing,​ ​we​ ​discovered​ ​how​ ​strongly​ ​people​ ​feel​ ​about​ ​this​ ​word​—​which​ ​many​ ​assume​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​recently​ ​invented​ ​term​ ​or​ ​a​ ​mispronunciation.​ ​Others​ ​quite​ ​reasonably​ ​think​ ​it​’​s​ ​a​ ​synonym​ ​of​ ​supposedly.​ ​After​ ​all,​ ​even​ ​Joey​ ​from​ ​Friends​ ​famously​ ​and​ ​hilariously​ ​couldn​’​t​ ​figure​ ​out​ ​if​ ​supposedly​ ​and​ ​supposably​ ​were​ ​different​ ​words.

 

Here​’​s​ ​the​ ​shocking​ ​truth:​ ​supposably​ ​is,​ ​in​ ​fact,​ ​a​ ​real​ ​word​ ​and​ ​has​ ​been​ ​used​ ​since​ ​at​ ​least​ ​the​ ​1700s.​ ​However,​ ​it​ ​may​ ​not​ ​mean​ ​quite​ ​what​ ​you​ ​(​or​ ​Joey)​ ​think​ ​it​ ​does.​ ​To​ ​celebrate​ ​supposably​’​s​ ​new​ ​entry​ ​in​ ​our​ ​dictionary,​ ​let​’​s​ ​break​ ​down​ ​the​ ​difference​ ​between​ ​the​ ​words​ ​supposably​ ​and​ ​supposedly.

 

What​ ​does​ ​supposedly​ ​mean?

Let​’​s​ ​start​ ​with​ ​the​ ​word​ ​most​ ​people​ ​know.​ ​The​ ​word​ ​supposedly​ ​means​ ​“​according​ ​to​ ​what​ ​is​ ​accepted​ ​or​ ​believed,​ ​without​ ​positive​ ​knowledge.​”

 

Supposedly​ ​is​ ​an​ ​adverb​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​word​ ​supposed.​ ​Supposedly​ ​is​ ​used​ ​to​ ​express​ ​doubt​ ​that​ ​something​ ​is​ ​what​ ​people​ ​say​ ​it​ ​is.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​a​ ​synonym​ ​of​ ​the​ ​word​ ​allegedly.

 

The​ ​word​ ​supposedly​ ​is​ ​used​ ​when​ ​a​ ​person​ ​has​ ​heard​ ​information​ ​about​ ​something,​ ​such​ ​as​ ​from​ ​the​ ​news​ ​or​ ​the​ ​rumors​ ​going​ ​around​ ​town.​ ​At​ ​the​ ​same​ ​time,​ ​they​ ​aren​’​t​ ​sure​ ​if​ ​the​ ​information​ ​is​ ​actually​ ​true.​ ​For​ ​example,​ ​a​ ​person​ ​may​ ​say​ ​that​ ​the​ ​dinosaurs​ ​are​ ​supposedly​ ​extinct​ ​if​ ​they​ ​don​’​t​ ​believe​ ​the​ ​dinosaurs​ ​are​ ​really​ ​gone.​ ​Maybe​ ​they​’​re​ ​hiding​ ​in​ ​a​ ​theme​ ​park​ ​somewhere?

 

What​ ​does​ ​supposably​ ​mean?

Supposably​ ​means​ ​“​as​ ​may​ ​be​ ​assumed,​ ​imagined,​ ​or​ ​supposed.​”

 

Supposably​ ​is​ ​an​ ​adverb​ ​based​ ​on​ ​the​ ​word​ ​supposable.​ ​If​ ​something​ ​is​ ​supposable,​ ​it​ ​means​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​possible​ ​or​ ​conceivable.​ ​Therefore,​ ​supposably​ ​is​ ​a​ ​synonym​ ​of​ ​the​ ​adverbs​ ​possibly​ ​and​ ​conceivably.​ ​If​ ​something​ ​can​ ​supposably​ ​happen,​ ​it​ ​means​ ​it​ ​is​ ​within​ ​the​ ​realm​ ​of​ ​possibility​ ​that​ ​it​ ​can​ ​happen.​ ​It​ ​is​ ​often​ ​used​ ​with​ ​words​ ​such​ ​as​ ​might,​ ​may,​ ​or​ ​could.

 

For​ ​example,​ ​it​ ​is​ ​correct​ ​to​ ​say​ ​that​ ​a​ ​dog​ ​may​ ​supposably​ ​be​ ​friends​ ​with​ ​a​ ​cat.​ ​Although​ ​they​ ​usually​ ​don​’​t​ ​get​ ​along,​ ​there​ ​is​ ​plenty​ ​of​ ​evidence​ ​of​ ​cats​ ​tolerating​ ​dogs.​ ​On​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand,​ ​it​ ​would​ ​be​ ​incorrect​ ​to​ ​say​ ​that​ ​pigs​ ​could​ ​supposably​ ​fly.​ ​Pigs​ ​do​ ​not​ ​have​ ​wings​ ​nor​ ​the​ ​money​ ​to​ ​pay​ ​for​ ​flight​ ​school.​ ​Because​ ​a​ ​pig​ ​flying​ ​is​ ​impossible,​ ​logically​ ​you​ ​wouldn​’​t​ ​say​ ​that​ ​a​ ​pig​ ​may​ ​supposably​ ​fly​—​unless​ ​you​ ​fitted​ ​them​ ​with​ ​wings.

 

How​ ​to​ ​use​ ​supposedly​ ​and​ ​supposably

The​ ​easiest​ ​way​ ​to​ ​know​ ​which​ ​word​ ​you​ ​should​ ​use​ ​is​ ​to​ ​see​ ​if​ ​you​ ​want​ ​to​ ​say​ ​that​ ​something​ ​is​ ​supposed​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​way​ ​or​ ​if​ ​it​ ​is​ ​possible​ ​for​ ​something​ ​to​ ​be​ ​a​ ​certain​ ​way.

 

For​ ​example,​ ​if​ ​someone​ ​says​ ​that​ ​a​ ​particular​ ​bug​ ​spray​ ​supposedly​ ​kills​ ​mosquitoes,​ ​they​ ​are​ ​doubtful​ ​of​ ​the​ ​truth​ ​of​ ​this​ ​advertised​ ​claim​—​and​ ​are​ ​probably​ ​being​ ​munched​ ​on​ ​by​ ​mosquitoes​!

 

On​ ​the​ ​other​ ​hand,​ ​if​ ​someone​ ​says​ ​that​ ​a​ ​particular​ ​bug​ ​spray​ ​supposably​ ​kills​ ​mosquitoes,​ ​they​ ​are​ ​saying​ ​that​ ​it​ ​is​ ​possible​ ​that​ ​the​ ​bug​ ​spray​ ​could​ ​kill​ ​mosquitoes​—​it​ ​is​ ​made​ ​from​ ​a​ ​chemical​ ​that​ ​can​ ​be​ ​lethal​ ​to​ ​mosquitoes.

 

Here​ ​are​ ​some​ ​more​ ​examples​ ​of​ ​correct​ ​uses​ ​of​ ​supposedly​ ​and​ ​supposably:

 

My​ ​son​ ​supposedly​ ​bathed​ ​the​ ​dog​ ​but​ ​she​ ​smells​ ​like​ ​a​ ​dumpster​!

Although​ ​it​ ​is​ ​very​ ​unlikely,​ ​a​ ​skydiver​ ​could​ ​supposably​ ​survive​ ​jumping​ ​out​ ​of​ ​an​ ​airplane​ ​without​ ​a​ ​parachute.

“​Supposedly,​ ​the​ ​Egyptians​ ​built​ ​the​ ​pyramids,​”​ ​Stan​ ​said.​ ​“​If​ ​you​ ​ask​ ​me,​ ​it​ ​was​ ​time-traveling​ ​robots​!​”

They​ ​set​ ​the​ ​betting​ ​odds​ ​at​ ​a​ ​million​ ​to​ ​one,​ ​which​ ​means​ ​that​ ​they​ ​believe​ ​that​ ​the​ ​celebrity​ ​chef​ ​might​ ​supposably​ ​defeat​ ​the​ ​professional​ ​boxer​ ​in​ ​a​ ​boxing​ ​match​ ​somehow.

 

So,​ ​here​’​s​ ​the​ ​big​ ​idea:

 

While​ ​supposably​ ​is​ ​a​ ​real​ ​(​if​ ​rare)​ ​word,​ ​most​ ​people​ ​will​ ​opt​ ​for​ ​synonyms​ ​such​ ​as​ ​possibly​ ​or​ ​conceivably.​ ​Because​ ​many​ ​mistakenly​ ​believe​ ​others​ ​using​ ​supposably​ ​is​ ​a​ ​mistake,​ ​a​ ​lot​ ​of​ ​people​ ​avoid​ ​supposably​ ​so​ ​as​ ​not​ ​to​ ​invoke​ ​the​ ​wrath​ ​of​ ​people​ ​who​ ​are​ ​supposedly​ ​grammar​ ​snobs.