Can "apparently" be used as an alternative to "it's said that"?

I believe it is.

Apparently - it appears that

This definition is correct. However, look out for 'apparent', which does mean 'obvious', 'noticeable', or 'clear'. Her surprise was apparent; she gaped and pointed at the broken window. It has become apparent that there are significant issues in our legal system.

Yes "apparently" is used as "it appears to be" or "it's said that", so there is a level of uncertainty there. The emphasis is that the thing in question is not something you have experienced personally. This is not to be confused with "evidently" which can be used as a synonym of "obviously" but also "obviously" with a shade less certainty, so "based on the evidence we have it would seem that...".

Apparent is used both ways, it can either be synonymous to “obvious” or “seeming.” Read the usage notes on the [Wiktionary entry](https://en.m.wiktionary.org/wiki/apparent). I can see how this may be confusing to a learner but in context it is usually clear which meaning is intended. Wiktionary deems the “obviously” usage of [apparently](https://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/apparently) to be archaic but I personally don’t think it’s really all that uncommon, or at least it has become archaic so recently that you will still encounter it regularly.

Dictionary dotcom has a great explanation of the word "apparently": > Things that we describe as *apparently* true appear to be true, but we’re not sure if they’re definitely true—that’s why we used the word apparently. A reporter broadcasting live on TV might use the word to qualify a statement based on reports that have not been fully confirmed, as in *The suspect has apparently been caught.* The word is used in everyday conversation in the same way—to discuss something that was not witnessed firsthand, as in *I was out sick today, but apparently the math test was really hard.*

I do not think apparently means “obviously.” I do not think apparently means “it’s said that.” —— These two words come from the same route and have a related meaning : - apparently - to appear Better definitions for apparently, in my opinion, are: - to seem - so my deduction is… - and based on all of this, I learned…

In real life, "apparently" usually means that the person isn't sure of their facts, but heard it from some random guy in a pub, who had heard it from his uncle's sister's babysitter's friend's niece. It's usually used to convey apocryphal "facts". *Apparently,* McDonald's burgers are made of horse meat. *Apparently,* Donald Trump only eats German cheese. *Apparently,* dolphins can't actually swim. *Apparently,* tomatoes cause cancer. Or cure it. That kind of bs.

Yes, the two senses in the photo are both correct and common.

"Apparently" is sometimes used to convey sarcasm. Examples: "Apparently, I'm wrong." You might have provided information that doesn't sound true, or I think shouldn't be true. "Apparently, eating eggs is bad for you." My mother told me eating eggs is good for me, but now you're saying that's not true. I'm skeptical of what you said.  "Apparently, it's illegal to send someone a pizza as a surprise in Louisiana." That might be true, but it sounds like a stupid law.

The two are technically not the same thing, nor are they in the way they are commonly used except in one particular, informal, case.

“Apparently” is usually used to convey that the speaker lacks first hand knowledge of the topic (“apparently in New Orleans, they have parties when there’s a hurricane coming, but I’ve never been to one”), or to express mild skepticism (“apparently, John thinks he’ll come in first place in the marathon”), or to express indignation at a situation (“apparently you have to be a celebrity to get a table at this restaurant!”). It’s like saying “it appears that . . . (But I’m not so sure)”

“Apparently” does not mean “obviously”, and it does not mean “it is said that…”. It means, “it appears (based upon evidence XYZ) that…”. The emphasis is placed on the evidence. What the speaker really means depends on what they think of evidence XYZ. If, for example, the speaker is planning a picnic, and then a delusional person walks into the room and said that pianos are falling from the sky, then the speaker saying, “well, apparently the picnic is canceled, on account of the pianos falling from the sky!”, then they’re joking sarcastically, because they don’t take the “evidence” seriously. On the other hand, if they’re trying to figure out how to lock their new car remotely using the key fob, and every button they push simply activates the alarm for 30 seconds, and they say, “well apparently, I *can’t* lock it; I can only trigger the alarm!”, then they’re exasperated, because the evidence is confusing them, and confounding their expectations.

Theres a use to “apparently” that is not present with “it’s said that”. That is in the sense of sarcasm/rhetoric (can’t quite tell which one here). If I said “but *apparently* that’s being pedantic” “apparently” is used sarcastically to draw attention to something that seems a bit out of place. However if I said “it’s said that that is being pedantic” It doesn’t carry the same sarcastic tone and rhetorical power. So in that sense they are not equal As for “obviously” it can be used in a similar sense but not to the same meaning. Obviously means that something is very clearly something whereas apparently means it seems like it’s something. So to use it in a similar sense “but that’s being pedantic, obviously…” where the sarcasm is on the fact that that isn’t obvious at all and is just something the other has made true by saying things that clarify other information.

This kid famously overused the word apparently. Don't be like him. https://youtu.be/rz5TGN7eUcM?si=qlPben9itrdYKJMc

Lots of great comments about the many kinds of possible nuance. I'll add that it is often used to convey some kind of irony: Ironic understatement: reinforcements arrive to a situation gone catastrophically wrong and in obvious chaos: "apparently you guys need some help" Ironic disparity between what the speaker thought or hoped to be true, and what, by appearances based on recent observation, is true. Or begrudging acknowledgement of an unpleasant fact. "apparently the partisans are less willing to compromise than we thought." "Apparently that part we lost going down the road *was* important" (said after the engine blows up) And like others said, it can describe anything that the speaker has no reason to doubt, but only knows of second hand, frequently coupled with the connotation that what 'apparently' is true is undesirable or confusing. "Apparently, despite his being a qualified candidate, they wouldn't offer him a job unless he cut his hair." "Apparently the byzantine bureaucracy requires us to wait '3-30 business months' for our petition to be heard." Skeptical: what appears to be, based on someone's biased statement, is doubted by the speaker. "Apparently, the leader had no knowledge of what occurred. How convenient." It's a tricky business, you gradually learn to listen to subtle context that tells you whether the word is an adverb that means 'truly and incontrovertibly' or 'highly dubious.'

apparently ≈ supposedly / I guess (so) apparent≈ obvious

If you say it's apparent that something is true, you're saying it's clear that it's true.  Starting a sentence with "apparently," on the other hand, softens it -- it's something you'd say if you weren't sure you were right. It's the equivalent of, "I heard someone say," or, "It seems like." "Apparently, dinosaurs were birds," is something you might say if you learned it from a tweet. "Dinosaurs were birds," is what you might say if you were the paleontologist who wrote the tweet.


I use this word sarcastically so much that this definition confused me for about 10 seconds.

something along those lines: "it's said that", "I was told that", "I heard that", "it seems that". I wouldn't use it for something like "obviously" - if you want, you can use "it's apparent that", although it comes across as a bit formal.