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Example:
The circular window was apparently made to match the shape of the sun.
Here apparently expresses doubt, but with a certain level of conviction: that was the intent of the person who designed the window. Is there a word similar to apparently but with less level of conviction? Almost as if the conclusion were a rough guess? Or something that the speaker made up?
Seemingly is what you're looking for.
Seemingly vs. apparently
Apparently:
Is used when you have read or been told something, although you are not certain it is true. Apparently it's going to rain today.
Is used when the situation is different than what you thought it was. You know I told you Alice's party was on the 13th? Well, I just saw her and it's apparently on the 14th. How do you like that?
Seemingly:
Appearing to be something, especially when this is not true. He remains confident and seemingly untroubled by his recent problems.
According to the facts that you know. The factory closure is seemingly inevitable.
(Quora)
used to show that you do not believe that something you have been told is true: Well, the tickets are supposedly in the mail. ( -- Cambridge Dictionaries Online)
"As appears or is stated to be true, though not necessarily so"
'Apparently' as defined in the OED:
"As far as one knows or can see"
...only implies the converse.
So in my mind 'ostensibly' has a larger measure of doubt.
Possibly
This might seem a strange fit, but it does convey less certainty and conviction.
"Apparently she's gone to the movies." "Possibly she's gone to the movies."
"Apparently he stole it." "Possibly he stole it."
I could go with presumably, which goes beyond "this may be what they were trying to do, but I don't know if they achieved it" to cast doubt even upon the inferred intent itself.
The circular window was presumably made to match the shape of the sun.
It changes the sentence form, but suggests or implies.
The circular shape of the window suggests it was made to match the shape of the sun.
If some irony is acceptable, I like allegedly.
The choice depends on the level of skepticism or sarcasm you want to inject...
In order of preference I would offer:
The straightforward way to express this:
The circular window might have been made to match the shape of the sun.
Bonus: eliminates an adverb.
Likely would indicate that the speaker is making a guess but is fairly certain about it.
I might use purportedly, were it for something recent, but if it concerned something 400 years old then: the window, according to legend, was made to fit the shape of the sun.
The circular window gave the illusion of being made to match the shape of the sun.
Definition of "illusion" from MW: a misleading image presented to the vision; perception of something objectively existing in such a way as to cause misinterpretation of its actual nature; something that looks or seems different from what it is, something that is false or not real but that seems to be true or real.
Example: Everyone knows that vertical stripes can be very slimming and give the illusion of height.
You may also replace illusion by "impression".
How about on the face of it?
The circular window, on the face of it, was made to match the shape of the sun.
I'll put forth the more rarely used supposably, which is the adverb form of supposable.
: capable of being supposed : conceivable
Merriam-Webster
It connotes less conviction because it sounds like a made-up word (arguably because it was implied to be made-up when used in the TV show Friends).
