putative

USAGE SUMMARY

The word “putative” is correct and usable in written English.
It is an adjective that means generally accepted or supposed, without necessarily being true. Example sentence: The putative leader of the group was given authority to make decisions on their behalf.

✓ Grammatically correct

News & Media

Formal & Business

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

60 human-written examples

The putative buyer, Rupert Murdoch, quickly put the record straight, forcing Mr Fourtou to backtrack and causing Vivendi's shares to plunge before the deal was finally completed on October 1st.Mr Breton is to announce his rescue plan for France Telecom in two months' time.

The Economist

In Kilinochchi, Tamil Eelam's putative capital, lie the remains of a huge water tank destroyed by the LTTE, with the slogan: "Say no to destruction ever again".

The Guardian - Travel

Indeed, were Gordon Brown to fall under a bus - and the hypothesis is usually related to serving, rather than putative, prime ministers, Johnson would certainly be my candidate to succeed Blair.

The Guardian - Opinion

Scottish Labour MPs were desperate for Miliband to go after Sturgeon, but he also had to counterbalance any attacks with the need to show he had the restraint and gravitas of a putative prime minister.

The Guardian

It thus captured the recent Palestinian concession that there should be western peacekeepers within the territory of their putative state.

The Guardian - Opinion

The truth is that the only long-term plan they have had is to seize the excuse of the putative need for "austerity" to shrink the size of the state, in the process imparting serious social damage to the poor.

The Guardian - Business

The most important issue is the poor performance of the nation's productivity, which, far from being improved, has almost certainly been exacerbated by the constant emphasis on the putative need for austerity.

The Guardian - Business

Yes, it may turn out to do well on DVD at Christmas; yes, it may have been a smart move cancelling the week-of-release press screening to avoid even more abusive reviews; but these aren't the thoughts, strategies or indeed actions of a putative movie mogul.

The Guardian - Film

Pro-Russia rebels said on Tuesday they had started pulling heavy weaponry back from the frontline in accordance with the putative peace plan, which aims to create a buffer zone between the two sides' artillery.

The Guardian

It's been called the most contested acronym in Europe, a putative free-trade deal between the world's two richest trading powers that will either unleash untold prosperity or economic and cultural ruin, depending on your point of view.

The Guardian - Business

It is widely assumed that an early contest would favour Johnson while a later one, after the putative EU referendum, would be less advantageous.

The Guardian - Opinion

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

Use "putative" when you want to indicate that something is commonly believed or assumed, but may not be definitively proven. It adds a layer of uncertainty or speculation to your statement.

Common error

Avoid using "putative" when you actually mean something is definitively proven or confirmed. "Putative" implies a degree of uncertainty, so ensure your word choice reflects the true state of evidence.

Linguistic Context

The primary grammatical function of "putative" is as an adjective. It modifies nouns to indicate that something is commonly accepted or supposed, but not necessarily proven. Ludwig AI confirms this with numerous examples in diverse contexts.

Expression frequency: Very common

Frequent in

News & Media

55%

Formal & Business

25%

Science

10%

Less common in

Encyclopedias

5%

Wiki

3%

Reference

2%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "putative" functions as an adjective to denote something commonly accepted or assumed but not definitively proven. Ludwig AI confirms that its use is grammatically correct and it is very commonly used in news, formal writing and even in the science field. When using "putative", remember that you are indicating a degree of uncertainty or speculation and that using alternatives such as "supposed" or "alleged" may be more suitable depending on the situation. Always ensure your word choice accurately reflects the certainty of the information you are presenting.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

Supposed

Indicates something believed to be true or to have happened, without proof.

Assumed

Suggests something is taken for granted or supposed to be the case.

Presumed

Suggests something is taken to be the case on the basis of probability or evidence, but without actual proof.

Alleged

Implies an assertion without proof, often in legal contexts.

Reputed

Suggests something is known or believed by many, but not definitively.

Purported

Indicates something is claimed to be true, often with an implication of doubt.

Ostensible

Refers to something presented as being true, but possibly not so.

Professed

Implies openly declaring something, which may or may not be genuine.

So-called

Indicates skepticism about the accuracy of a term or description.

Nominal

Indicates something that is such in name only, without being truly so.

FAQs

How to use "putative" in a sentence?

Use "putative" to describe something that is generally accepted or supposed, but not necessarily true. For example, "The "putative leader" of the organization denied any wrongdoing."

What can I say instead of "putative"?

You can use alternatives like "supposed", "alleged", or "reputed" depending on the context.

Which is correct, "putative" or "presumptive"?

"Putative" and "presumptive" are similar but not interchangeable. "Putative" implies something is commonly believed but not proven, while "presumptive" suggests something is likely based on current evidence. The choice depends on the degree of certainty you want to convey.

What's the difference between "putative" and "hypothetical"?

"Putative" refers to something generally assumed or believed, while "hypothetical" refers to something based on a theoretical possibility. "Putative" carries a stronger sense of existing belief or assumption than "hypothetical".