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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Recent Examples of putative
The putative mechanism is a settlement with the Internal Revenue Service.
—
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
In July 2025, a New York district court dismissed trademark and copyright claims in a putative class-action lawsuit filed by voice actors against the AI voiceover company Lovo.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 May 2026
In the absence of a putative A-list candidate, the crowded field has yielded good, healthy competition.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Johnny is the putative protagonist of Mortal Kombat II, a follow-up to 2021’s Mortal Kombat, which was centered on MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan).
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for putative
Jonathan Chait, The Atlantic, 19 May 2026
In July 2025, a New York district court dismissed trademark and copyright claims in a putative class-action lawsuit filed by voice actors against the AI voiceover company Lovo.
—Todd Spangler, Variety, 14 May 2026
In the absence of a putative A-list candidate, the crowded field has yielded good, healthy competition.
—Los Angeles Times, 10 May 2026
Johnny is the putative protagonist of Mortal Kombat II, a follow-up to 2021’s Mortal Kombat, which was centered on MMA fighter Cole Young (Lewis Tan).
—Alison Willmore, Vulture, 6 May 2026
See All Example Sentences for putative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putative
Adjective
-
Less than two years after an infant girl died of apparent starvation in Mesquite, the child's parents pleaded guilty to a lesser crime and received lengthy prison sentences.—
Matthew Ablon,
CBS News,
20 June 2026
-
The Sox announced after the game that Sean Newcomb will be the opener Saturday in an apparent bullpen game.—
Paul Sullivan,
Chicago Tribune,
20 June 2026
Adjective
-
The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
In 1985, a young center named Patrick Ewing, who had just starred at Georgetown, came to the Garden and a turnaround seemed not only possible but probable.—
Kyle Feldscher,
CNN Money,
14 June 2026
-
But while a stronger event raises the odds and probable scale of impact, the true total won’t be known for years because the losses compound over time.—
Doyle Rice,
USA Today,
13 June 2026
Adjective
-
Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible.—
CA Earthquake Bot,
Sacbee.com,
17 June 2026
-
Tropical storm conditions are possible within the watch area beginning early Wednesday, and are expected within the warning area beginning later on Wednesday.—
MIAMI HERALD HURRICANE BOT,
Miami Herald,
17 June 2026
Adjective
-
Second-year center Ariel Hukporti is at it again — and so is his ostensible drinking mate, Jeremy Sochan.—
Kristian Winfield,
New York Daily News,
18 June 2026
-
Indeed, the history of American politics is littered with ostensible golden ages—the Era of Good Feelings, the Roaring Twenties, the postwar ’50s—that can only be deemed such by our total exclusion.—
Ta-Nehisi Coates,
Vanity Fair,
15 June 2026
Adjective
-
Though little has made its way here, many companies developing these sci-fi-seeming technologies see New York as an essential proving ground.—
Anne Kadet,
Curbed,
19 June 2026
-
These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
19 June 2026
Adjective
-
But what feels most haunting about the arc of then to now, about Smith’s unfathomable issues and woes — yet obvious heart and particularly evident quest to find himself in recent years — is that his words then were spoken with a sense of arrival and past tense.—
Kansas City Star,
Kansas City Star,
20 June 2026
-
Look in the most obvious places first.—
Nafeesah Allen,
Better Homes & Gardens,
20 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 21 Jun. 2026.
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