as in apparent
appearing to be true on the basis of evidence that may or may not be confirmed
the putative reason for her dismissal was poor job performance
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Examples of putative in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Moses is seeking compensatory and putative damages from six claims, including a claim against the police officers under a Colorado statute that allows claims against individual police officers who either deprive someone of their state constitutional rights or fail to intervene in such deprivation.
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James Powel, USA TODAY, 31 July 2024
Scrutiny of Vice President Kamala Harris as the putative Democratic nominee for president has so far focused on her progressive positions on the economy, race and gender identity, energy, crime, and immigration.
—Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 31 July 2024
For all its putative differences from the Trump administration, the Biden administration has shown noticeable continuity with its predecessor on China.
—Wang Jisi, Foreign Affairs, 1 Aug. 2024
In warm weather, flies and other insects complicated the efforts of almost anyone trying to keep cool or to gain the putative health benefits of exposure to outside air.
—David Owen, The New Yorker, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for putative 
James Powel, USA TODAY, 31 July 2024
Scrutiny of Vice President Kamala Harris as the putative Democratic nominee for president has so far focused on her progressive positions on the economy, race and gender identity, energy, crime, and immigration.
—Robert J. Delahunty, National Review, 31 July 2024
For all its putative differences from the Trump administration, the Biden administration has shown noticeable continuity with its predecessor on China.
—Wang Jisi, Foreign Affairs, 1 Aug. 2024
In warm weather, flies and other insects complicated the efforts of almost anyone trying to keep cool or to gain the putative health benefits of exposure to outside air.
—David Owen, The New Yorker, 27 July 2024
See all Example Sentences for putative
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'putative.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 10 Oct. 2024.
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