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
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of putative
But she’s taken some putative first steps towards a campaign, like a tour to support her recent memoir of the 2024 campaign.
—
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
What about Williams’ putative second civil rights movement?
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
During the Cold War’s first decades, the CIA’s version of these men on the spot produced a succession of seemingly stunning covert victories that created a pantheon of putative American heroes.
—Alfred McCoy, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for putative
Dave Goldiner, New York Daily News, 3 Apr. 2026
What about Williams’ putative second civil rights movement?
—Bruce Fein, Baltimore Sun, 5 Mar. 2026
During the Cold War’s first decades, the CIA’s version of these men on the spot produced a succession of seemingly stunning covert victories that created a pantheon of putative American heroes.
—Alfred McCoy, Literary Hub, 26 Feb. 2026
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
See All Example Sentences for putative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putative
Adjective
-
Serbia’s state railway company Saturday canceled all trains to and from Belgrade, in an apparent bid to prevent some people from coming from other parts of the country.—
Jovana Gec,
Los Angeles Times,
24 May 2026
-
Some travelers argued Carnival should honor the bookings despite the apparent pricing mistake.—
Kelly McGreal,
FOXNews.com,
23 May 2026
Adjective
-
The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Eight of those cases have been laboratory confirmed for Andes virus infection, while two are considered probable cases.—
Anthony Thompson,
USA Today,
16 May 2026
-
Besides wanting to back the probable winner (Bass) who can help deliver lucrative new contracts, the police union also has reasons to spite Raman.—
Sal Rodriguez,
Oc Register,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Historically, the community in Putumayo has been concerned about possible links between paramilitary groups and others connected to oil companies.—
Jacob Whitehead,
New York Times,
27 May 2026
-
All ingredients are local and sourced from no further than 13 miles from the hotel, and are organic where possible.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
27 May 2026
Adjective
-
The full-length rerecording—now shorn of expletives—celebrates the record’s 10th anniversary (with the unintended consequence of sparking a discourse about Toledo’s ostensible religious views).—
Hattie Lindert,
Pitchfork,
22 May 2026
-
The attack comes despite an ostensible ceasefire that has been in place since October.—
Eugenia Yosef,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
Van de Peer and his colleagues wanted to understand what accounts for the abundance of modern polyploidy and the seeming relative scarcity of it long ago.—
Ari Daniel,
NPR,
19 May 2026
-
These innocuous-seeming actions can kindle dry vegetation, potentially spawning a wildfire.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
15 May 2026
Adjective
-
That was unusually blunt from the typically genial Pritzker, who’s mainly tried to keep a public lid on his obvious irritation with Johnson.—
The Editorial Board,
Chicago Tribune,
24 May 2026
-
Find the topic gaps nobody is filling Every niche has angles that are obvious in hindsight.—
Jodie Cook,
Forbes.com,
23 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 28 May. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
