purport

1 of 2

verb

pur·​port (ˌ)pər-ˈpȯrt How to pronounce purport (audio)
purported; purporting; purports

transitive verb

1
: to have the often specious appearance of being, intending, or claiming (something implied or inferred)
a book that purports to be an objective analysis
also : claim
foreign novels which he purports to have translated Mary McCarthy
2

purport

2 of 2

noun

pur·​port ˈpər-ˌpȯrt How to pronounce purport (audio)
: meaning conveyed, professed, or implied : import
also : substance, gist

Did you know?

The verb purport may be more familiar nowadays, but purport exists as a noun that passed into English from Anglo-French in the 15th century as a synonym of gist. Sir Walter Scott provides us with an example from his 19th-century novel Rob Roy: "I was a good deal mortified at the purport of this letter." Anglo-French also has the verb purporter (meaning both "to carry" and "to mean"), which combines the prefix pur- ("thoroughly") and the verb porter ("to carry"). In its original English use, the verb purport meant "to signify"; the "to profess or claim" sense familiar to modern English speakers didn't appear until the 17th century.

Examples of purport in a Sentence

Verb do you purport to spend the rest of your life on that couch, or do you think you might get a job someday? he purports to be an expert in criminalistics Noun the purport of the book The letter was not read aloud, but all present were informed of its purport.
Recent Examples on the Web
Verb
Last month, Border Patrol Chief Jason Owens shared surveillance photos purporting to show armed bandits robbing a migrant group attempting to enter the country. Alex Riggins, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Mar. 2024 But actually going through with it risks seriously hobbling the companies it’s purported to help. Damian Garde, STAT, 7 Mar. 2024 Another article last week appeared to come from a fictional character on X. The New York News Daily posted an article about what purported to be a thread announcing a $115 million Hollywood blockbuster about Mr. Zelensky. Steven Lee Myers, New York Times, 7 Mar. 2024 The Google drive contains 79 separate files purported to be materials related to the recent investigation and statements, according to the email. Thomas Schlachter, CNN, 1 Mar. 2024 And two days before Slovakia’s parliamentary elections in September, a fake audio clip purported to show the leader of a pro-Western political party discussing how to rig the election. Kevin Collier, NBC News, 26 Feb. 2024 One of the core features is the My Vitality Score, which purports to show your mental and physical readiness for the day. Julian Chokkattu, WIRED, 26 Feb. 2024 Republicans in Arizona, Georgia, Michigan and Nevada also signed documents purporting to be electors. Journal Sentinel, 26 Feb. 2024 Victims also were given fraudulent documentation showing purported profits earned on the resale of their properties. Christina Hall, Detroit Free Press, 24 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purport.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Noun

Middle English, from Anglo-French, content, tenor, from purporter to carry, mean, purport, from pur- thoroughly + porter to carry — more at purchase entry 1, port

First Known Use

Verb

1679, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of purport was in the 15th century

Podcast

Dictionary Entries Near purport

Cite this Entry

“Purport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purport. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

purport

1 of 2 noun
pur·​port ˈpər-ˌpō(ə)rt How to pronounce purport (audio)
-ˌpȯ(ə)rt
1
: meaning stated, suggested, or hinted
2
: the main point of a talk or subject

purport

2 of 2 verb
pur·​port (ˌ)pər-ˈpō(ə)rt How to pronounce purport (audio)
-ˈpȯ(ə)rt
: to give the impression of being
purports to be a physician

More from Merriam-Webster on purport

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!