Putnam

American  

[puht-nuhm] / ˈpʌt nəm /

noun

1. Herbert, 1861–1955, U.S. librarian: headed Library of Congress 1899–1939.

2. Israel, 1718–90, American Revolutionary general.

3. Rufus, 1738–1824, American Revolutionary officer: engineer and colonizer in Ohio.

---

Putnam British  

/ ˈpʌtnəm /

noun

1. Israel. 1718–90, American general in the War of Independence

2. his cousin Rufus. 1738–1824, American soldier in the War of Independence; surveyor general of the US (1796–1803)

---

Example Sentences

But the actively managed Putnam Focused Large Cap Value ETF has outperformed the S&P 500 as well as broad value and growth indexes since it was launched nearly five years ago.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

My last pick today is the Putnam Core Bond fund, PYTRX.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

Mark Legan, a livestock, corn and soybean farmer in Putnam County, Indiana, told the BBC that the government aid would "help our bottom line"

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025

Far from limiting itself to bibliographic endeavors, the library began to think of itself as a research institution in the late 19th century, thanks to librarians of Congress Ainsworth Rand Spofford and Herbert Putnam.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 25, 2025

Probably he was praying to her all the way to Putnam County, praying to her to come back to him and tell him what to do now without her.

From "Missing May" by Cynthia Rylant