Putatively

Part of speech: adverb

Pronunciation: /ˈpjuː.tə.tɪv.li/

Definitions

1. In a manner based on what is generally assumed or believed to be true without absolute proof
2. Expressing an idea that is accepted hypothetically or considered likely rather than confirmed
3. Used to indicate that something is thought to be the case by common assertion though not definitively proven

Etymology: "Putatively" is "putative" plus the adverbial ending "-ly," and the ending is the more interesting half. The suffix descends from an Old English "-līce," which was built from a noun meaning "body" or "form" and an adjectival element meaning "-like." So "-ly" originally carried the sense of "in the shape of" or "in the manner of," and "lovely" and "friendly" once literally meant "having the look of a love" or "of a friend's kind." English shortened "-līce" to "-ly" in the Middle English period, and it now attaches to countless adjectives. The base word, "putative," comes from Latin "putare," "to think, suppose, or reckon." It passed into English as an adjective meaning "generally supposed," so something putative was one that people reckoned to be true, though it had not been proven. Adding "-ly" turns that sense into an adverb: a putatively safe bridge is one reputed to be safe, and the word signals that the claim rests on supposition rather than confirmation.

Synonyms: supposedly, presumably, reputedly, apparently, allegedly