putative

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

“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.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 30, 2025

This effort, which has bipartisan support, is important because disability judges sometimes have approved or disapproved disability benefits based on the putative availability of old jobs that no longer truly exist.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 22, 2025

Somewhat inexplicably, Eddie Fales, Baldwin’s ex-lover, was also there as his putative “secretary,” while his current lover, Lucien Happersberger, presumably because he was not American, was not.

From Slate • Aug. 18, 2025

Perhaps the largest events were the Watergate scandal and Nixon’s resignation, a putative victory for democracy and constitutionalism.

From Salon • Aug. 9, 2025

Among the visitors to the house was Tom Higgs, Keith’s boss— putative boss, really, given that Keith was the guy at the office answering questions.

From "A Deadly Wandering: A Mystery, a Landmark Investigation, and the Astonishing Science of Attention in the Digital Age" by Matt Richtel