Much like with identical twins, it’s easy to mix up two words that look similar. This is why so many people confuse “supposedly” and “supposably,” the latter of which is often thought to be a misspelling or misuse of the former. But “supposably” is a very real word in its own right, so let’s take a look at what distinguishes these two words.
According to Merriam-Webster, “supposedly” means “according to what is or was said.” It dates to the end of the 16th century and comes from the Middle English supposen, meaning “to make a hypothesis.” “Supposably,” on the other hand, essentially acts as a synonym for the word “conceivably.” Its first usage is dated just a few decades later, in 1627. At first glance, these definitions are similar, but there’s a difference that we can attempt to clarify with the following hypothetical scenario.
Imagine your friend tells you about a new restaurant in town. She says “Supposedly, the chef trained in Paris and makes the best croissants outside of France.” This statement means it’s an opinion according to what your friend has heard. She’s repeating it to you, but there’s not a definitive confirmation.
Now you’re looking forward to a visit to the café and you think to yourself: “If they really can make a croissant that rivals the ones I had in Paris, they would supposably be the best in the country.” “Supposably” here means it’s conceivable or possible that these croissants could be the best in the United States.
These adverbs are very similar, and over time, “supposedly” has become the default choice. But there’s a nuance to their distinction, and “supposably” deserves to be used for those theoretical claims.
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