Putnam

American  

[puht-nuhm] / ˈpʌt nəm /

noun

1. Herbert, 1861–1955, U.S. librarian: headed Library of Congress 1899–1939.

2. Israel, 1718–90, American Revolutionary general.

3. Rufus, 1738–1824, American Revolutionary officer: engineer and colonizer in Ohio.

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Putnam British  

/ ˈpʌtnəm /

noun

1. Israel. 1718–90, American general in the War of Independence

2. his cousin Rufus. 1738–1824, American soldier in the War of Independence; surveyor general of the US (1796–1803)

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Example Sentences

At one time, the Frank Putnam Flint fountain on the south side of Los Angeles City Hall had three things going for it:

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 11, 2026

But the actively managed Putnam Focused Large Cap Value ETF has outperformed the S&P 500 as well as broad value and growth indexes since it was launched nearly five years ago.

From MarketWatch • Mar. 25, 2026

My last pick today is the Putnam Core Bond fund, PYTRX.

From Barron's • Jan. 9, 2026

Mark Legan, a livestock, corn and soybean farmer in Putnam County, Indiana, told the BBC that the government aid would "help our bottom line"

From BBC • Dec. 8, 2025

Next came the U.S. government, seeking to place an Indian exhibit on the island, and then Professor Putnam, the fair’s chief of ethnology, who saw the island as the ideal site for several exotic villages.

From "The Devil in the White City" by Erik Larson