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Ostensible vs Putative - What's the difference?

ostensible | putative | Synonyms |

Putative is a synonym of ostensible.



As adjectives the difference between ostensible and putative

is that ostensible is apparent, evident; meant for open display while putative is commonly believed or deemed to be the case; accepted by supposition rather than as a result of proof.

ostensible

English

Adjective

(en adjective)
  • Apparent, evident; meant for open display.
  • * 1956–1960 , (second edition, 1960), chapter ii: “Motives and Motivation”, page 32:
    • Motives, of course, may be mixed; but this only means that a man aims at a variety of goals by means of the same course of action. Similarly a man may have a strong motive or a weak one, an ulterior motive or an ostensible one.
  • * '>citation
    • In witch-trials the conflict was officially defined as between the accused and God, or between the accused and the Catholic (later Protestant) church, as God's earthly representative. [...]
    Behind the ostensible conflict of the witch-trial lay the usual conflicts of social class, values, and human relationships.
  • Appearing as such; being such in appearance; professed, supposed (rather than demonstrably true or real).
    • The ostensible reason for his visit to New York was to see his mother, but the real reason was to get to the Yankees game the next day.

    Derived terms

    * ostensibly

    Antonyms

    * (meant for open display)

    Related terms

    * ostensive * ostentatious * ostentation

    References

    * ----

    putative

    English

    Adjective

    (en adjective)
  • Commonly believed or deemed to be the case; accepted by supposition rather than as a result of proof.
  • * 1879 , Maurice Mauris, "A Materialistic Artist," New York Times , 9 Nov., p. 10:
    • [T]he lady . . . insisted upon going herself, requesting me to mind for a second the baby. . . . lo! the baby awoke and stared at me with a pair of big frightened eyes, which the little thing in another moment rolled in all directions, as if in search of its putative mother.
  • * 1989 , , " US must support Thailand if Cambodia is to survive," Milwaukee Sentinel'' ''(Los Angeles Times Service) , 28 Oct. (retrieved 15 Sep. 2009):
    • Just as Prince Sihanouk is fronting for the Khmer Rouge today . . . so also was he their putative leader from 1970 to 1975.
  • * 2006 , Unmesh Kher, " No Neat Endings for the JonBenet Case," Time , 18 Aug.:
    • Karr's past does raise suspicions. When he was arrested in Bangkok, he was living in a dormitory-like guesthouse in a neighborhood frequented by sex tourists. . . . Of course, Karr's putative pedophilia would not make him guilty of murder.

    Synonyms

    * ostensible, purported, reputed, supposed