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
-
The man dropped to the ground and was arrested without any apparent resistance in the video that Osante filmed.—
Colleen Slevin,
Los Angeles Times,
2 June 2025
-
Ukraine goes into this second round of direct talks bolstered by its apparent destruction of Russian strategic bombers and other crucial air assets.—
Matthew Chance,
CNN Money,
2 June 2025
Adjective
-
Wind gusts of up to 40 mph and pea-sized hail (0.25 inches) are probable.—
NC Weather Bot,
Charlotte Observer,
6 June 2025
-
Wind gusts of up to 40 mph and marble-sized hail (0.5 inches) are probable.—
CA Weather Bot,
Sacbee.com,
6 June 2025
Adjective
-
Dutch’s mission is rooted in making that bond possible—for more people—by providing affordable, ongoing access to care.—
Sindhya Valloppillil,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
-
Deliberations are continuing in Harvey Weinstein’s New York retrial, but a couple of jurors have raised concerns about the fairness of the trial and his defense team has pointed to possible juror misconduct.—
Caitlin Huston,
HollywoodReporter,
9 June 2025
Adjective
-
Well before private equity was in the local media game, Gannett was creating firms’ playbooks for them: ruthlessly consolidate, centralize as much as possible, boost shareholder value at all costs— even when the cost was the journalism, the company’s ostensible raison d’être.—
Megan Greenwell,
Rolling Stone,
5 June 2025
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Both films cogently argue that ostensible democracies in the U.S. and elsewhere squash anyone who tries to tell the truth – anyone who insists that 2 + 2 = 4.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
21 May 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
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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
-
Lionsgate post-Starz spin-off would be the most obvious choice, without the weight of cable networks on both sides and with a host of still-viable Lionsgate franchises including John Wick, The Hunger Games and Saw.—
Howard Homonoff,
Forbes.com,
10 June 2025
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Sending in the National Guard was an obvious military flex, designed to to bait Angelenos while perhaps distracting Americans from Trump’s far greater troubles.—
Mary McNamara,
Los Angeles Times,
9 June 2025
Cite this Entry
“Putative.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/putative. Accessed 14 Jun. 2025.
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