SYNONYMS AND RELATED EXPRESSIONS
putative
adjective
Generally supposed or claimed to be so, without certainty.
Local English device voice, when available. This is not a recorded dictionary pronunciation.
Supposed to be so
Closest synonyms
Related words and expressions
These extend or explain the idea and may require a different sentence structure.
Usage distinction
Return to topPutative marks an accepted or proposed identification that is uncertain. Apparent emphasizes appearance, while reported identifies how the claim was communicated.
CHECK THE MEANING IN CONTEXT
See putative in use
The putative author of the unsigned letter denied writing it.
A collector brought the town archive a purported farewell letter from a locally celebrated novelist. The writer's putative assistant was named in a note attached to the envelope, although the archive had not confirmed that person's role.
Compare an alternative with the original word in each passage. Shared meanings do not make every pair interchangeable.
Synonym reference scope and sources
The groups distinguish the senses selected for this study entry. Closest synonyms and broader related expressions have separate labels. The listed sources support lexical selection; not every phrase is a direct quotation from a source.
How the synonym reference was prepared / WordNet 3.0 license