purport

[per-pawrt, -pohrt, pur-pawrt, -pohrt, pur-pawrt, -pohrt]

verb (used with object)

1. to present, especially deliberately, the appearance of being; profess or claim, often falsely.

   a document purporting to be official.

2. to convey to the mind as the meaning or thing intended; express or imply.

   Synonyms: signify, intend, mean

noun

1. the meaning, import, or sense.

   the main purport of your letter.

   Synonyms: gist, trend, drift, implication

2. purpose; intention; object.

   the main purport of their visit to France.

purport

verb

1. to claim (to be a certain thing, etc) by manner or appearance, esp falsely

2. (esp of speech or writing) to signify or imply

noun

1. meaning; significance

2. purpose; object; intention

Other Word Forms

• purportless adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of purport¹

First recorded in 1375–1425; (verb) late Middle English purporten, from Anglo-French purporter “to mean, signify,” Old French porporter “to carry, convey,” equivalent to pur- pro- ¹ + porter “to carry” (from Latin portāre ); (noun) late Middle English, from Anglo-French, derivative of the verb

Word History and Origins

Origin of purport¹

C15: from Anglo-French: contents, from Old French porporter to convey, from por- forth + porter to carry, from Latin portāre

Synonym Study

See meaning.

Example Sentences

The BBC alerted Google of the two maps hosted on Google Maps purporting to represent the locations of women who had signed up for Tea.

From BBC

The chain purported to bring a “country hospitality experience to the big city,” complete with “entertainment on the front porch, rocking chairs, classic Cracker Barrel games and crave-worthy food.”

From Los Angeles Times

Illegal cannabis dispensaries across Southern California openly sell actual psilocybin mushrooms, as well as dodgy chocolates and gummies that often purport to contain the substance but instead contain only synthetic versions.

From Los Angeles Times

A member of the crowd called Vance a “couch f**ker,” a reference to a fake excerpt purported to be from his memoir “Hillbilly Elegy.”

From Salon

There was no deal and little detail on purported areas of progress.

From Salon

Related Words

• imply 
• pose as www.thesaurus.com
• pretend 
• profess