publicly; openly; on the surface
Used when something is done or expressed in a way that is visible to others, often contrasting with hidden or private actions. Common in negative or contrastive contexts.
彼は表立って反対はしなかったが、内心では不満だった。
He didn't openly oppose it, but inwardly he was dissatisfied.
その問題はまだ表立って議論
The issue hasn't been discussed publicly yet.
内密に means 'secretly/confidentially', the direct opposite of 表立って, which describes doing something openly.
表面 is a plain noun meaning 'surface/outward appearance', while 表立って is an adverbial expression describing the manner of an action being public.
Standard kanji spelling; commonly used in news and formal contexts.
Variant spelling with だ in kana; less common but still encountered.
Derived from 表 (おもて, 'front, public') + 立つ (たつ, 'to stand') in its て-form, literally 'standing in the open'. The exact historical development is uncertain, but the expression has been used since at least the Edo period.