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3. on the face of it

on the face of it

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on the face of it

Fig. superficially; from the way it looks. This looks like a serious problem on the face of it. It probably is minor, however. On the face of it, it seems worthless.

See also: face, of, on

on the face of it

when first considered On the face of it, the new system just moves our company into the computer age, but it may be more complicated than that.

See also: face, of, on

on the face of it

something that you say when you are describing the way a fact or situation seems in order to show that you think it may really be completely different On the face of it, the trip seems quite cheap, but there could be extra expenses we don't know about yet.

See also: face, of, on

on the face of it

Seemingly, based on available evidence, as in On the face of it this project should break even in six months. This idiom uses face in the sense of "a superficial view." [Early 1700s]

See also: face, of, on

on the face of it

From appearances alone; apparently: On the face of it, the problem seems minor.

See also: face, of, on