purport

1 of 2

verb

pur·​port (ˌ)pər-ˈpȯrt 

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

: intend, purpose

purport

2 of 2

noun

pur·​port ˈpər-ˌpȯrt 

: 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.

Synonyms

Verb

• aim
• allow [chiefly Southern & Midland]
• aspire
• calculate
• contemplate
• design
• go [chiefly Southern & Midland]
• intend
• look
• mean
• meditate
• plan
• propose
• purpose

Noun

• content
• denotation
• drift
• import
• intent
• intention
• meaning
• sense
• significance
• signification

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

In skin care, it’s purported to help decrease inflammation and deliver moisture, and it’s even been studied for its wrinkle-smoothing benefits (more on that below). —Claire Sullivan, WWD, 16 July 2024

But the platform played host to some of the most viral strands of misinformation since the shooting, including the troll who purported to be the shooter in a video and received millions of views. —Cat Zakrzewski, Washington Post, 15 July 2024

However, online videos purported to show some poll sites empty while a survey of several dozen sites in the capital, Tehran, saw light traffic amid a heavy security presence on the streets. —Freddie Clayton, NBC News, 6 July 2024

However, online videos purported to show some polls empty while a survey of several dozen sites in the capital, Tehran, saw light traffic amid a heavy security presence on the streets. —Jon Gambrell, arkansasonline.com, 6 July 2024

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

Kids Definition

purport

1 of 2 noun

pur·​port ˈpər-ˌpō(ə)rt 

-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 

-ˈpȯ(ə)rt

: to give the impression of being

purports to be a physician