Definition of supposititious
1a : fraudulently substituted : spuriousb of a child (1) : falsely presented as a genuine heir (2) : illegitimate
2 [influenced in meaning by supposition] a : imaginaryb : of the nature of or based on a supposition : hypothetical
supposititiously
adverbIndulge Your Inner Word Nerd
supposititious was our Word of the Day on 05/11/2017. Hear the podcast!
Theme music by Joshua Stamper ©2006 New Jerusalem Music/ASCAP
Examples of supposititious in a Sentence
entered the world as the supposititious son of a housemaid
Did You Know?
The Latin verb supponere, meaning "substitute," has several legitimate heirs in English, including "supposititious" (which dates from the early 17th century) and "supposition" (a 15th century addition). The "fraudulent" and "illegitimate" meanings of "supposititious" trace back to "supponere" in a fairly direct route, whereas the "imaginary" and "hypothetical" meanings were influenced by the meanings of "supposition." In legal contexts, "supposititious" is primarily used in its earlier senses, as in "a supposititious (fraudulent) will" or "the child was supposititious (illegitimate)." When something hypothetical is being considered, the adjective "suppositious" is often preferred over "supposititious."
Origin and Etymology of supposititious
Latin suppositicius, from suppositus, past participle of supponere to substitute
Learn More about supposititious
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up supposititious? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!