[Visual Vocabulary] Putative - believed to be the person or thing mentioned

[Sandesh Kumar Sodhi]

Usage examples -

• The putative father of the child.
• The administration was overjoyed that the Democrats had taken control of the Congress, an interesting situation given that the President is supposed to be the putative head of the Republican Party.
• He has written a flimsy and supercilious book that does no justice to her putative subject.
• North Korea's putative possession of nukes

Etymological note -
This word shares the same Latin root putare (to think) with word reputation.
Reputation = re (again) + putare.
A person considered reputed when everyone thinks(knows) about him.

Word putative is used to refer to something/somebody that is thought to be something/someone.


--
Posted By Sandesh Kumar Sodhi to Visual Vocabulary at 11/17/2006 08:57:00 AM