PUTATIVELY Synonyms: 42 Similar and Opposite Words

putatively

adverb

as in seemingly

to all outward appearances the lake's putatively pristine water is actually crawling with microorganisms that can wreak havoc with your gastrointestinal system

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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 putatively Miller has long been concerned with some of the actions taken after 9/11, putatively in her name, against Muslims in general. — Gloria Pazmino, CNN Money, 8 Aug. 2026 The eight-story glass building at the center of the complex, which had putatively been devoted to vaccine manufacturing, was in fact a highly classified defense facility. — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 25 July 2026 Such agencies are putatively created to provide expert advice to the president on complex issues such as nuclear technology and consumer product safety. — Laurent Belsie, Christian Science Monitor, 29 June 2026 But with supposedly or putatively race-neutral methods, for 100 years, the right to vote was denied. — CBS News, 4 May 2026 From the perspective of a world of increasingly unimaginable maldistribution of resources, cascading ecological collapse, a genocide cheered on by a putatively liberal order, both are barbarisms. — Literary Hub, 7 Nov. 2025

Recent Examples of Synonyms for putatively

Adverb

The statement came after Roth detailed a sequence in the film to Polygon that features a cartoon that seemingly hypnotizes children, turning them into murderers.

— Corbin Bolies, Variety, 5 Aug. 2026
But their political views have seemingly coalesced less around the economy than around the war in Gaza, which serves as a character test for any politician who asks for their vote.

— Jay Caspian Kang, New Yorker, 4 Aug. 2026

Definition of seemingly

Adverb

Spencer Brown said someone on the movie set apparently did that to get a smile or laugh from the actor.

— Joe Marusak August 8, Charlotte Observer, 8 Aug. 2026
Three men in their 70s were slightly injured — two of them were caught in the wind and a third one fell from a stool, apparently blown off by the wind while preparing for the storm, the Okinawa prefecture said.

— ABC News, ABC News, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of apparently

Adverb

What Andert argues in his video is that LINXS has effectively ransomed LAX to the tune of $880 million — so far — to complete the supposedly less than 3 percent that remains to be built on the project.

— Oren Peleg, HollywoodReporter, 7 Aug. 2026
On October 3, 1995, after an eight-month trial that featured allegations of police planting evidence and gloves that Simpson supposedly wore the night of the murders not fitting him, Simpson was acquitted.

— Tracy Grant, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 Aug. 2026

Definition of supposedly

Adverb

While that isolated figure may not sound like much, that ostensibly insignificant amount of time adds up to a little over 19 days worth of sleep over the course of a year.

— Connor Sturges, Condé Nast Traveler, 10 Aug. 2026
Critics dismissed the elections, which were held in December and January, as a sham designed to consolidate the military’s grip on power while ostensibly restoring civilian rule.

— ABC News, ABC News, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of ostensibly

Adverb

Helaena chose to stop working on her tapestry and leave it behind where Rhaenyra will presumably find it.

— Jennifer Maas, Variety, 10 Aug. 2026
Only for the Journal’s editorialists to gently pat presumably a few less than sanguine readers on the head with an allegedly encouraging caveat about legislation that empowers presidents to impose tariffs of the 100% kind on other nations.

— John Tamny, Forbes.com, 9 Aug. 2026

Definition of presumably

Adverb

Of these, most of the mistakes were in incurring the liability in the first place, with probably at least a third of them being from personal guarantees being called.

— Jay Adkisson, Forbes.com, 11 Aug. 2026
Even had Guardiola stayed on, City would probably be playing a more direct brand of football next season, with players more suited to beating a man and covering ground than playing a thousand million passes.

— Sam Lee, New York Times, 11 Aug. 2026

Definition of probably

Adverb

Central Washington will likely see even stronger winds, with gusts up to 35 mph possible starting Friday.

— Mary Gilbert, CNN Money, 6 Aug. 2026
Other, more recent ownership groups in Atlanta, New York and Miami would likely be in favor as well, as would clubs like the LA Galaxy and New York Red Bulls.

— John Cassillo, Forbes.com, 5 Aug. 2026

Definition of likely

Browse Nearby Words

putative

putatively

put away

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“Putatively.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putatively. Accessed 11 Aug. 2026.

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Synonyms of putatively

adverb

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