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 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
In the putative May 17, 2024 message, Lively, 38 — who starred in and served as a producer on the Colleen Hoover adaptation — began by thanking Matt for considering watching the film and warning him about its subject matter.
—Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
His putative nomination caps months of two-pronged campaigning to viewers outside and inside the entertainment-tastemaker sphere.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for putative
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
In the putative May 17, 2024 message, Lively, 38 — who starred in and served as a producer on the Colleen Hoover adaptation — began by thanking Matt for considering watching the film and warning him about its subject matter.
—Elizabeth Rosner, PEOPLE, 21 Jan. 2026
His putative nomination caps months of two-pronged campaigning to viewers outside and inside the entertainment-tastemaker sphere.
—Craig Jenkins, Vulture, 21 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for putative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putative
Adjective
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And yet what’s readily apparent is that this weird, fragile, insular family is genuinely keen on folding Tommy into their lives.—
Robert Abele,
Los Angeles Times,
7 Mar. 2026
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Officers then began taking apart the tank, which was not factory standard, and discovered the woman lying in a puddle of gasoline, appearing disoriented and suffering from apparent chemical burns to her legs and feet; she was taken to a hospital for medical evaluation, treated and quickly released.—
Alex Riggins,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
7 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Marshall was upgraded to probable for Thursday’s game against the Orlando Magic.—
Mike Curtis,
Dallas Morning News,
4 Mar. 2026
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By tightening the circular error probable and introducing uncertainty in the final trajectory, Kheibar Shekan tests Israel’s missile defense agility.—
Sujita Sinha,
Interesting Engineering,
3 Mar. 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,
4 Mar. 2026
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Prosecutor Edward Robert Campbell told the state television program on Friday the accused faced a host of possible charges including crimes associated with terrorist acts.—
Reuters 9 hr ago,
CNN Money,
4 Mar. 2026
Adjective
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The earlier film, directed by James Whale, begins with a campy scene of Mary Shelley telling her husband—Percy Bysshe Shelley—and Lord Byron of her plans for a sequel, setting up the film as the fulfillment of that ostensible wish.—
Richard Brody,
New Yorker,
4 Mar. 2026
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Compared with the ostensible consequences of the prisoner’s dilemma, getting fleeced in the snowdrift problem’s scenario isn’t quite as disastrous.—
Joseph Howlett,
Scientific American,
23 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Another room waits for us all of course, and only there is there no more seeming.—
Sara Holdren,
Vulture,
6 Mar. 2026
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Pink’s fans were quick to comment on the seeming connection with the singer’s stage name and signature hair color.—
Emma Banks,
InStyle,
27 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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Add to the Compost Pile Sending banana peels to the compost bin is the easiest—and perhaps most obvious—way to use them.—
Michelle Mastro,
Martha Stewart,
7 Mar. 2026
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Targets at safety It’s become obvious that this year’s safety draft class has the chance to produce a good amount of quality starters.—
Joseph Hoyt,
Dallas Morning News,
7 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 10 Mar. 2026.
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