putative
11
7.9
- adjective
- /ˈpjuːtətɪv/
- Formal
:
presunto
- The putative leader of the group was respected by everyone, even though he had not been officially elected.
- putative expression
- putative benefits
- putative expression of courtship
Hostages, the lineaments of winds, putative witness worn away My eyes, ears, eyes, audition.
- Hostages, the lineaments of winds, putative witness worn away My eyes, ears, eyes, audition.
Examples
-
Does this putative factor appear prior to the appearance of the end point of interest, premature labor?
-
Moreover, people have carried these freewheeling organisms far from their putative centers of origin.
Academic text (1991) -
So I'm now getting the blame for a putative crime my daughter may or may not have committed in a town 200 miles away.
-
And so it's a situation rather than the putative trait that we should take into account.
-
Perhaps it's time to remind you this is not simply a dispute with a putative suitor.
-
In the real world of antitrust, the victims of putative monopolists are often difficult or impossible to find.
Academic text (1991) -
Full-bloods were also hopeful that the tribe's putative oil reserves would provide them with a real income.
Academic text (1999) -
Particular attention should be given to locations near putative barriers or filter barriers, which can potentially affect phylogeographical patterns.
Academic text (2011) -
Even now I see the coming disgust and the helpless failure of the putative victors.
Academic text (1993) -
The criteria to select putative infected mosquito larvae were based on their swimming capabilities.
Academic text (2015)
Synonyms
31
7.3
Likely to be true because of evidence, not certain
1
4.8
Likely to be true based on the facts
People generally think someone or something has a certain quality without proof
Thought to be true but often doubted
Based mainly on guesswork rather than proven facts
Based on an idea rather than on solid proof
Antonyms
How Certain
Surface Forms
Etymology
Putative comes from the Latin putare, meaning 'to think', and it shares the same root as reputation, which is about what people 'think' of someone. So putative means 'supposed' or 'thought to be', usually when something is believed but not yet proven.