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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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of putative
His putative allies are, after all, terrified of harassment and physical violence from the army of released insurrectionists that Trump all but commands himself.
—
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
The announcement came after President Trump's senior Africa advisor, Massad Boulos, traveled to the Congolese capital Kinshasa last week to discuss a putative U.S.-DRC minerals deal.
—Npr's International Desk, NPR, 8 Apr. 2025
But the passage of time had transformed the putative killing field: The once-barren hills were now covered by a towering forest of Douglas firs, planted after the war.
—Malcolm Hillgartner Tanya Pérez Lance Neal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Newsom has spent years pursuing a putative tunnel to bring more water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, but no shovels will be turned soon.
—Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for putative
Faisal Kutty, Newsweek, 11 Mar. 2025
The announcement came after President Trump's senior Africa advisor, Massad Boulos, traveled to the Congolese capital Kinshasa last week to discuss a putative U.S.-DRC minerals deal.
—Npr's International Desk, NPR, 8 Apr. 2025
But the passage of time had transformed the putative killing field: The once-barren hills were now covered by a towering forest of Douglas firs, planted after the war.
—Malcolm Hillgartner Tanya Pérez Lance Neal, New York Times, 27 Mar. 2025
Newsom has spent years pursuing a putative tunnel to bring more water through the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta, but no shovels will be turned soon.
—Thomas Elias, The Mercury News, 14 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for putative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putative
Adjective
-
Despite some apparent limitations in the group, there’s a dual purpose to their playing time.—
Vahe Gregorian,
Kansas City Star,
9 May 2025
-
On their way home to Melbourne, Cave claims their meal at a local pub was interrupted by an apparent interaction with Cage.—
Tyler Jenke,
Billboard,
9 May 2025
Adjective
-
The Leafs were always more probable than not to lose this series and the odds now are greatly stacked against them.—
Dom Luszczyszyn,
New York Times,
16 May 2025
-
Without human oversight, brand language may drift toward the generic, the probable, and the forgettable.—
Jason Snyder,
Forbes.com,
14 May 2025
Adjective
-
The question the film ultimately asks is whether a third way is at all possible, leading to a gripping final combat that’s much less a knockout than a bitter victory.—
Jordan Mintzer,
HollywoodReporter,
17 May 2025
-
But before the summer was over, the other hero of the tale would prove to be the reconciliation process that was making the legislative win possible — a process with its origins in quite a different era of relations between Congress and the president.—
Ron Elving,
NPR,
17 May 2025
Adjective
-
Then his ostensible bestie, Stuart (Josh McDermitt), ruins everything by breaking up the firm.—
Margaret Lyons,
New York Times,
23 Feb. 2025
-
But due to Coogler’s framing, seeing Mary, a white-passing woman but ostensible outsider, turned into a vampire is tragic.—
Fran Hoepfner,
Vulture,
24 Apr. 2025
Adjective
-
Emilia Pérez’s turnout in particular was a fall from seeming dominance, perhaps precipitated by Gascón’s controversy.—
David Sims,
The Atlantic,
3 Mar. 2025
-
That night of violence — with its brutality and seeming lack of a motive — has shaken the community.—
Richard Winton,
Los Angeles Times,
13 Sep. 2024
Adjective
-
The lesson is obvious for investors: always consider control systems.—
Jim Osman,
Forbes.com,
17 May 2025
-
That was all too obvious within minutes of his final home game of the season coming to an end on Friday night.—
Simon Johnson,
New York Times,
17 May 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 23 May. 2025.
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