putative

adjective

ˈpyü-tə-tiv How to pronounce putative (audio)
Definition of putativenext
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

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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 Neither the ministry nor the official who spoke to Reuters gave any further details on the putative ceasefire discussions. — Reuters, NBC news, 20 July 2026 Their putative wedding date comes nearly three years after June 8, 2023, when the Eras Tour hit Kansas City. — Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 29 June 2026 But the sheer fervor of protest from putative allies stunned Eaddy. — Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026 If that theory still holds, putative 2028 Democratic candidate Rahm Emanuel has an early advantage — in the bike lane. — Naomi Lim, The Washington Examiner, 13 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for putative
Recent Examples of Synonyms for putative
  1. apparent
  2. presumed
  3. probable
  4. possible
  5. ostensible
  6. seeming
  7. obvious
Adjective
  • The pump wagon’s relevance to Bowery culture will only be apparent in the exhibition’s final gallery, which is dominated by a comparable artifact, Brad Kalhammer’s installation Bowery Nation (1985–2012).
    — J. Hoberman, ARTnews.com, 9 Oct. 2026
  • The latest frontier model, with apparent human-level faculties, had gone rogue – displaying dangerous, even devious online behaviors.
    — Michael Serazio, Fortune, 9 Oct. 2026
Definition of apparent
Adjective
  • The presumed reasoning behind why the film was ignored is multilayered.
    — Marcus Jones, IndieWire, 8 Aug. 2025
Definition of presumed
Adjective
  • He was expected to be cleared this week, but still has not been deemed probable.
    — Chris Hays, The Orlando Sentinel, 8 Oct. 2026
  • If shares can eclipse this mark then upside targets of $135 to $138 are probable.
    — Jay Woods, CNBC, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of probable
Adjective
  • The South's joint chiefs said Saturday the military stepped up surveillance and vigilance for possible further launches from the North and was closely sharing information with the United States and Japan.
    — Arkansas Online, Arkansas Online, 4 Oct. 2026
  • As Yemen returns to a level of fighting intensity not seen since the 2022 truce, the civil war has entered a decisive phase, with several possible avenues forward.
    — Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 4 Oct. 2026
Definition of possible
Adjective
  • But even absent that, congressional Democrats can partner with international experts to help determine who was killed and for what ostensible reason.
    — Anjali Dayal, Washington Post, 8 Oct. 2026
  • So why is their ostensible foray into the world of adult fiction so… juvenile?
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of ostensible
Adjective
  • But Chee’s first-person, present-tense narration differs from most in being, in a seeming paradox, retrospective.
    — Garth Greenwell, New Yorker, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Le Baiser isn’t the only work on offer to bear a seeming connection to Koons’s oeuvre.
    — News Desk, Artforum, 5 Oct. 2026
Definition of seeming
Adjective
  • The tents with a bathroom in them, a seemingly obvious upgrade from those without (there’s a communal washroom), have toilets that aren’t completely enclosed.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Oct. 2026
  • Put the paths of 1991, 2009 and 2027 on a globe, and the approximately 120-degree westward jump between successive members becomes immediately obvious.
    — Jamie Carter, Space.com, 6 Oct. 2026
Definition of obvious

Browse Nearby Words

put aside
putative
putatively
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Cite this Entry

“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 10 Oct. 2026.

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