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
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
String theory is a putative solution to the problem, replacing particles with minuscule lengths of vibrating string to smooth over snags that doom other candidate theories.
—Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 19 Nov. 2025
Each photographic plate took a 50-minute exposure of the sky, leading Villarroel to suggest that these putative objects were stationary in space, possibly in geostationary orbit some 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) above Earth.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for putative
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
String theory is a putative solution to the problem, replacing particles with minuscule lengths of vibrating string to smooth over snags that doom other candidate theories.
—Matt Von Hippel, Quanta Magazine, 19 Nov. 2025
Each photographic plate took a 50-minute exposure of the sky, leading Villarroel to suggest that these putative objects were stationary in space, possibly in geostationary orbit some 22,000 miles (35,000 kilometers) above Earth.
—Jonathan O'Callaghan, Scientific American, 27 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for putative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putative
Adjective
-
Yet a significant portion of the crowd remains dedicated members, and their deep appreciation of– and cosmic ode to protect, this space is more than apparent.—
Jessica Chapel,
Condé Nast Traveler,
15 Feb. 2026
-
Last Thursday, the league issued a $500,000 fine to the Utah Jazz and a $100,000 penalty to the Indiana Pacers for sitting healthy players, believing their apparent tanking actions compromised the league's competitive integrity.—
Arkansas Online,
Arkansas Online,
15 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.—
Marcus Jones,
IndieWire,
8 Aug. 2025
Adjective
-
Even if snow conditions improve, the reservoir could still reach dead pool in November — a scenario the bureau dubbed its most probable outcome.—
Elise Schmelzer,
Denver Post,
17 Feb. 2026
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As major league owners meet this week to plot strategy, the powers that be will consider the probable push for a salary cap.—
Assistant Sports Editor,
Los Angeles Times,
11 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Forecasters are calling for feet of accumulation in the Sierra Nevada, with more than 30 inches possible near Donner Pass by today.—
James Ward,
USA Today,
18 Feb. 2026
-
When stopping by the roadside is your only option, position your vehicle as far off the road as possible, ideally beyond guardrails.—
Southern California Weather Report,
Daily News,
18 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
For the uninitiated, the Orb is a spherical piece of hardware whose ostensible purpose is to protect the internet from the influx of AI.—
Billy Perrigo,
Time,
10 Feb. 2026
-
The feds’ ostensible reason for the invasion makes no sense.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
6 Feb. 2026
Adjective
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And Lincoln’s seeming role as a symphonic football is nothing new, either.—
Classical Music Critic,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Feb. 2026
-
Giving things a second life—or a third—is a gift of the young architect, who over her decade-long career, has turned tree trunks into tables and tables into storage trunks, never pausing to question an object’s value—or any seeming lack thereof.—
Vaishnavi Nayel Talawadekar,
Architectural Digest,
3 Feb. 2026
Adjective
-
Henry Ford, but for housing If the goal is to bring down building costs, rethinking the basics of the construction process is an obvious place to start.—
Ben Christopher,
Los Angeles Times,
14 Feb. 2026
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The imminent launch got less obvious cues throughout the show, too.—
James Manso,
Footwear News,
14 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 21 Feb. 2026.
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