putative

[pyoo-tuh-tiv]

adjective

1. commonly regarded as such; reputed; supposed.

   the putative boss of the mob.

putative

/ ˈpjuːtətɪv /

adjective

1. (prenominal) commonly regarded as being

   the putative father

2. (prenominal) considered to exist or have existed; inferred

3. grammar denoting a mood of the verb in some languages used when the speaker does not have direct evidence of what he is asserting, but has inferred it on the basis of something else

Other Word Forms

• putatively adverb
• unputative adjective
• unputatively adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of putative¹

First recorded in 1400–50; late Middle English, from Late Latin putātīvus “considered, reckoned, reputed,” equivalent to putāt(us) (past participle of putāre “to think, consider, reckon,” originally “to prune (trees), clean (wool)” + -īvus -ive

Word History and Origins

Origin of putative¹

C15: from Late Latin putātīvus supposed, from Latin putāre to consider

Example Sentences

“The death of their father was extraordinarily traumatic, as you can imagine. That was compounded by this putative heir all of a sudden showing up and demanding money,” said Joseph Lipchitz, a litigator in Boston.

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In the blunt words of Document 19, “Marxism is incompatible with any theistic worldview,” an obstacle to socialism’s putatively “brilliant future.”

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Others have pointed to putative profiteering by cattle ranchers, whose profits per animal have spiraled higher, even as many have pared the size of their herds.

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A year before, Frost might have done one billion-dollar deal each month; now he was doing twenty, all of them insuring putatively diversified piles of consumer loans.

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Instead, the strategic calculation appears to have been that you can fold some of the groypers back into mainstream conservativism, but only by tiptoeing around the flaws of their putative leaders.

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Related Words

• presumed www.thesaurus.com
• presumptive 
• reputed 
• supposed