putative number

USAGE SUMMARY

The phrase "putative number" is correct and usable in written English.
It is typically used in contexts where a number is assumed or supposed to be true, often in legal or academic discussions. Example: "The putative number of participants in the study was estimated to be around 200, although the actual count was lower."

✓ Grammatically correct

Science

Human-verified examples from authoritative sources

Exact Expressions

18 human-written examples

Recent studies report a putative "number form area" (NFA) in the inferior temporal gyrus (ITG) suggested to be specialized for Arabic numeral processing.

Neuroscience & Biobehavioral Reviews

A principle challenge to the attainment of truly comprehensive lipidomics analysis is the inability of current methodology to commonly detect more than a fraction of the putative number of lipid species that may comprise the lipidome [27, 95, 96].

Clinical and Translational Medicine

The performance of the four programs (their BEDROC scores) did not correlate with this variable (all the p-values >10−2), showing that the putative number of contacts does not determine the performance of any of the four programs studied here.

Journal of Cheminformatics

This number corresponded well with the putative number of morphological species (Table 1).

Plosone

Therefore, the number of genuinely different sequences was at least twice as high as the putative number of genes in the family.

BMC Genomics

Beagle was run for both genomic regions, however due to the increased complexity and putative number of recombination events within OPA1-3, each trial run crashed.

BMC Evolutionary Biology

Human-verified similar examples from authoritative sources

Similar Expressions

42 human-written examples

Do we then subtract those casualties from the putative numbers of lives saved?

The New Yorker

The assay also identified 79 putative copy number variants in cattle.

Plosone

Secondly, we fine tune the detection of rare variants and infer the putative copy number classes for each locus.

Plosone

Probably due to the low density distribution of SNPs they were uninformative regarding the status of the other putative copy number variable regions.

Plosone

Putative variable number tandem repeats (VNTR's) in estrogen receptor 1, dopamine transporter and monoamine oxidase were also analyzed ([42], [43], [44], see Table 3).

Plosone

Expert writing Tips

Best practice

When using "putative number", ensure the context clearly indicates why the number is uncertain or provisional. Provide any available evidence or the basis for the assumption.

Common error

Avoid presenting a "putative number" as a definitive value. Always acknowledge the uncertainty and potential for error in your statement.

Linguistic Context

The phrase "putative number" functions as a noun phrase where the adjective "putative" modifies the noun "number". This combination serves to qualify the noun, indicating that the number being referred to is not definitively known or confirmed, but rather assumed or proposed. Ludwig showcases its usage across varied scientific publications.

Expression frequency: Common

Frequent in

Science

94%

News & Media

3%

Wiki

3%

Less common in

Formal & Business

0%

Academia

0%

Encyclopedias

0%

Ludwig's WRAP-UP

In summary, "putative number" is a grammatically sound phrase primarily used in formal and scientific writing to denote an assumed or estimated quantity. As confirmed by Ludwig, it appears most frequently in scientific contexts, emphasizing the tentative nature of numerical values. When using this phrase, ensure the context clearly indicates the uncertainty and basis for the assumption and prefer it over the alternatives, such as "estimated count", which indicates instead a formal calculation, when the number is just a guess.

More alternative expressions

Phrases that express similar concepts, ordered by semantic similarity:

estimated count

Replaces "putative" with "estimated", implying a calculation or approximation has been made.

assumed quantity

Substitutes "putative" with "assumed", suggesting a starting point for calculations or discussions.

potential total

Replaces "putative number" with "potential total", highlighting a maximum possible value.

projected figure

Uses "projected" instead of "putative", indicating a forecast based on available data.

hypothesized amount

Replaces "putative" with "hypothesized", emphasizing the speculative nature of the number.

inferred quantity

Uses "inferred" instead of "putative", suggesting the number was derived indirectly.

presumed value

Substitutes "putative" with "presumed", suggesting the number is likely based on available data.

suspected quantity

Replaces "putative" with "suspected", implying there is doubt about it.

speculative figure

Uses "speculative" instead of "putative", emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the number.

candidate number

Replaces "putative" with "candidate", indicating the number is considered but not confirmed.

FAQs

How can I use "putative number" in a sentence?

You can use "putative number" to refer to an estimated or assumed quantity, as in "The study examined the putative number of species in the region."

What's the difference between "putative number" and "estimated number"?

"Putative number" suggests a number that is assumed or believed to exist, while "estimated number" implies a number that has been calculated or approximated based on available data.

What are some alternatives to "putative number"?

Alternatives include "estimated count", "assumed quantity", or "potential total", depending on the context.

Is "putative number" formal language?

Yes, "putative number" is generally considered formal and suitable for academic, scientific, or professional writing. In less formal contexts, you might opt for a simpler term.