Question

putative adjective There's no need to make assumptions about the root behind "putative"; scholars are quite certain the word comes from Latin "putatus," the past participle of the verb "putare," which means "to consider" or "to think." "Putative" has been part of English since the 15th century, and it often shows up in legal contexts. For instance, a "putative marriage" is one that is believed to be legal by at least one of the parties involved. When that trusting person finds out that his or her marriage is not sanctioned by law, other "putare" derivatives, such as "dispute," "disreputable," "reputed," "imputation," and "deputy," may come into play. 1 : commonly accepted or supposed2 : assumed to exist or to have existed

Accepted Answer

May 5, 2012 PYOO-tuh-tiv Corporate restructuring and a need to cut costs were the putative reasons for the layoffs.  "The phrase 'wacky woman' was being tossed about frequently in descriptions of Maryland's putative lottery winner…." - From an article by Susan Reimer in the Baltimore Sun, April 4, 2012

Word	putative
Date	May 5, 2012
Type	adjective
Syllables	PYOO-tuh-tiv
Etymology	There's no need to make assumptions about the root behind "putative"; scholars are quite certain the word comes from Latin "putatus," the past participle of the verb "putare," which means "to consider" or "to think." "Putative" has been part of English since the 15th century, and it often shows up in legal contexts. For instance, a "putative marriage" is one that is believed to be legal by at least one of the parties involved. When that trusting person finds out that his or her marriage is not sanctioned by law, other "putare" derivatives, such as "dispute," "disreputable," "reputed," "imputation," and "deputy," may come into play.
Examples	Corporate restructuring and a need to cut costs were the putative reasons for the layoffs. "The phrase 'wacky woman' was being tossed about frequently in descriptions of Maryland's putative lottery winner…." - From an article by Susan Reimer in the Baltimore Sun, April 4, 2012
Definition	1 : commonly accepted or supposed 2 : assumed to exist or to have existed

Putative Legal Adjective Pyoo Tuh Tiv Make Assumptions Root Scholars