putative
adjective
Did you know?
There's no need to make assumptions about the root behind putative; scholars are quite certain the word comes from Latin putatus, the past participle of the verb putare, which means "to consider" or "to think." Putative has been part of English since the 15th century, and it often shows up in legal contexts. For instance, a "putative marriage" is one that is believed to be legal by at least one of the parties involved. When that trusting person finds out that their marriage is not sanctioned by law, other putare derivatives—such as dispute, reputed, imputation, and deputy—may come into play.
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Putative: Always Before a Noun
Putative is almost always used in front of a noun, the modified noun being that which is assumed or supposed to be. The putative cause of a death, for example, is the one widely believed to have caused it, even when it hasn't been proven or made certain. However, one does not say "the cause was putative."
Synonyms
Examples of putative in a Sentence
Anna Quindlen, Newsweek, 3 June 2002
The putative champions of liberty took up the cry of dissent only after it had become profitable and safe …
—Lewis H. Lapham, Harper's, June 2000
Back in Hollywood in a few weeks, I was discouraged to find yet another putative director wandering about in the Cowan offices, also unpaid.
—Arthur Miller, Timebends, 1987
the putative reason for her dismissal was poor job performance
Quanta Magazine, 6 Nov. 2024
Israel would still likely regularly conduct attacks to suppress terrorism, which would put civilian lives at risk and leave Gaza’s putative government looking helpless and illegitimate.
—Daniel Byman, Foreign Affairs, 30 July 2024
How does all this relate to the putative peace-deal in Ukraine?
—Melik Kaylan, Forbes, 9 Oct. 2024
The radial-velocity technique—which is used to uncover these and many other possible worlds—can only set lower limits on any putative planet’s mass.
—John Wenz, Scientific American, 4 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for putative 
Dictionary Entries Near putative
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/putative. Accessed 28 Nov. 2024.
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putative
adjective
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