outwardly
adv.on the outside or in a way that people can see. You use this to describe how someone looks or acts when their true feelings might be different.
adv.in an external manner or appearance; on the surface. Often used to contrast a visible state with an underlying, hidden reality.
“She remained outwardly calm despite the bad news.”
“Outwardly, the company appeared successful, but internally it was struggling with massive debt.”
“Though he was outwardly confident during the presentation, he later admitted to feeling a profound sense of imposter syndrome throughout the entire event.”
Typically placed before an adjective or at the beginning of a clause to set a contrast.
“They may appear outwardly calm while it happens and then leave the session as they typically would – checking out, providing payment and possibly even scheduling the next appointment.”
“Outwardly, Gotham made no mention that one would replace the other.”
From Middle English outwardly, outwardli, utwardliche, equivalent to outward + -ly.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.