Choose the meaning of the bold word.

He had left school in junior high, OSTENSIBLY because his mother was ill.

Apparently

The choices are:

A.oddly
B.surely
C.fortunately
D.supposedly

The word "ostensibly" can be understood by examining its context within the sentence. In this case, the bold word "ostensibly" indicates that the reason given for leaving school was not the real reason, but rather a false or misleading one. To determine the meaning, one can break down the sentence and consider the clues provided. The sentence states that the person left school "ostensibly because his mother was ill." This suggests that the given reason of his mother's illness may not be the true or only reason for leaving school. The implication is that there might be an underlying or hidden motive for his departure. Therefore, the meaning of "ostensibly" in this context is that the given reason appears to be the case but may not be true in reality.