Supposititious is an adjective meaning fraudulently substituted, spurious, falsely presented as an heir, illegitimate, imaginary, or hypothetical. It derives from the Latin "supponere" (to substitute).
Supposititious ist ein Adjektiv, das betrügerisch ersetzt, unecht, als Erbe falsch darstellt, unehelich, imaginär oder hypothetisch bedeutet. Es leitet sich vom lateinischen "supponere" (ersetzen) ab.
| Front | supposititious \suh-pah-zuh-TISH-us\ |
|---|---|
| Back | adjective 1. a) Fraudulently substituted; spurious. b) Of a child (1) falsely presented as a genuine heir (2) illegitimate. 2. a) Imaginary b) Of the nature of or based on a supposition; hypothetic. [The Latin verb "supponere," meaning "substitute," has several legitimate heirs in English, including "supposititious" (which dates from the early 17th century) and "supposition" (a 15th century addition). The "fraudulent" and "illegitimate" meanings of "supposititious" trace back to "supponere" in a fairly direct route, whereas the "imaginary" and "hypothetical" meanings were influenced by the meanings of "supposition." In legal contexts, "supposititious" is primarily used in its earlier senses, as in "a supposititious (fraudulent) will" or "the child was supposititious (illegitimate)." When something hypothetical is being considered, the adjective "suppositious" is often preferred over "supposititious."] "If I had Clark for a son, I would probably take my supposititious heir to lunch myself." |
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