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
War warnings, policy reversals, the hunt for AI victims, more than one putative $1 trillion private company looming over the public markets – there's plenty going on.
—
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
For those wearing the putative target on their back, this can surely be agonizing.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
The criteria for these distinctions—between putative immigrant and indelible alien—are not complicated; for above all, The Homeland is a racist project.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
Numerous local landmarks pay homage to the putative outer-space visitor, whose appearance three decades ago is being honored in Varginha this weekend.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for putative
Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 Feb. 2026
For those wearing the putative target on their back, this can surely be agonizing.
—Mark Leibovich, The Atlantic, 31 Jan. 2026
The criteria for these distinctions—between putative immigrant and indelible alien—are not complicated; for above all, The Homeland is a racist project.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 26 Jan. 2026
Numerous local landmarks pay homage to the putative outer-space visitor, whose appearance three decades ago is being honored in Varginha this weekend.
—Brendan Ruberry, semafor.com, 22 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for putative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putative
Adjective
-
That said, the presence of companies concerned with defense, security, and sensitive radar systems among the apparent ultimate targets raises obvious red flags.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
-
The following year, Salling died at age 35 of an apparent suicide.—
James Mercadante,
Entertainment Weekly,
11 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Bane was added to the injury report for Game 1 on Sunday morning because of an illness, but he was expected to be available when he was listed as probable by the team.—
Jason Beede,
The Orlando Sentinel,
19 Apr. 2026
-
Elijah has an arraignment in his Concord criminal case set for Monday, and a probable-cause hearing in his Windham case set for next Wednesday, a court spokesman tells Rolling Stone.—
Daniel Kreps,
Rolling Stone,
17 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Plan ahead as much as possible Nailing down all the angles of your trip ahead of time can save you both a lot of headaches and a significant amount of money.—
Becca Stanek,
TheWeek,
21 Apr. 2026
-
The November 2024 ceasefire was the best possible alternative at the time — certainly better than more war.—
Daniel DePetris,
Chicago Tribune,
21 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
The ostensible point of looks-maxxing is to bag hot chicks, but quite clearly the real fun comes from inspiring awe in men.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
27 Mar. 2026
-
The ostensible dividing line was over election integrity, which supporters say the SAVE America Act will guarantee.—
W. James Antle III,
The Washington Examiner,
20 Mar. 2026
Adjective
-
The Christophers is one of those compact pictures Soderbergh tosses out every year with the seeming effortlessness of someone making a stack of pancakes.—
Alison Willmore,
Vulture,
10 Apr. 2026
-
With each passing month, family members grew more frustrated by the seeming lack of accountability for what happened.—
Stephen Hobbs,
Sacbee.com,
10 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Make kind choices and keep boundaries obvious.—
Tarot.com,
Sun Sentinel,
12 Apr. 2026
-
That said, the presence of companies concerned with defense, security, and sensitive radar systems among the apparent ultimate targets raises obvious red flags.—
Jessica Klein,
PC Magazine,
11 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 23 Apr. 2026.
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