purportedly

adverb

pur·​port·​ed·​ly (ˌ)pər-ˈpȯr-təd-lē 

: it is purported : ostensibly, allegedly

Examples of purportedly in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The letters reference stories published by the outlets that purportedly threatened national security. — Dan Mangan, CNBC, 23 Sep. 2026

Since at least 1389, two vials purportedly containing the saint’s blood have been venerated in Naples because of their inexplicable ability to liquefy on his feast days. — Clare Whitton, The Conversation, 17 Sep. 2026

The lawsuit also accuses two men in Peru of painting a series of works purportedly signed by Warhol and arranging for the canvases to be shipped to Roberts’s gallery. — Tessa Solomon, ARTnews.com, 14 Sep. 2026

Pictures circulated on social media showed a Land Rover, purportedly belonging to Thomas, laying upside down on the side of a narrow residential street. — Nnamdi Onyeagwara, New York Times, 11 Sep. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1942, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for purportedly

• reportedly