putatur

Putatur is a Latin verb form meaning "is thought" or "is supposed." It is the third-person singular present passive indicative of the verb putare, which means to think, deem, or suppose. In classical and medieval Latin, putatur is frequently used to report opinion, belief, or accepted but unproven propositions.

Usage and construction: Putatur typically appears with a complement or clause that conveys what is thought. A common pattern is to attach an infinitive clause or a content clause, for example: Res nova esse putatur ("it is believed that the matter is new") or id verum esse putatur ("it is thought that this is true"). The form signals that the asserted proposition derives from a source external to the speaker, rather than from the speaker's own assertion.

Related forms and variants: The corresponding plural form is putantur ("they are thought"). The passive infinitive is putari ("to be thought"), and other tenses include imperfect putabatur and perfect putatus est ("it was thought" / "it has been thought"). These forms allow expression of belief, supposition, or reported speech across different times and voices.

Etymology and nuance: Putatur derives from puto ("to think" or "to reckon"). In usage, it helps convey hedging or indirect assertion rather than direct claim, a common rhetorical and philosophical feature in Latin texts. While firmly a Latin grammatical form, putatur is sometimes encountered in discussions of Latin prose style to illustrate how belief or opinion is conveyed without specifying a source.

See also: putare, Latin verb; passive voice in Latin; reported speech in Latin.