purportedly

adverb pur·port·ed·ly \ (ˌ)pər-ˈpȯr-təd-lē \

|Updated on: 18 Jun 2018

Definition of purportedly

: it is purported : ostensibly, allegedly

Recent Examples of purportedly from the Web

The new charges add further insight into the brains behind the Fyre Festival, the purportedly luxury concert in the Bahamas that has become shorthand for scams in the age of social media.

— eric levenson, CNN, "Fyre Festival organizer led scam ticket scheme while out on bail, prosecutors say," 13 June 2018
Automation has resulted in the removal of that shelter, since a machine now purportedly does the task.

— carolina a. miranda, The Atlantic, "The Unbearable Awkwardness of Automation," 13 June 2018
That included the remains purportedly belonging to Megumi Yokota, who was just a 13-year-old girl walking home from badminton practice after school when she was kidnapped in November 1977.

— NBC News, "Japanese citizens simply vanished. North Korea had abducted them. But why?," 11 June 2018
The earlier Invictus Games were also where Harry purportedly met Markle, and later where the two made their first public appearance together.

— raisa bruner, Time, "Prince Harry Has a Non-Love-Related Announcement to Make," 4 June 2018
At the time the Plan Commission tabled a vote on the development, The Reserve was purportedly sent back to the village’s planning department for additional review, but no further vote on the project ever was scheduled.

— mike nolan, Daily Southtown, "Feds, Tinley Park at odds over recordings of closed-door talks related to controversial apartment development," 1 June 2018
Some Catholics in the Tampa Bay area have been hit by scammers sending requests, purportedly from their parish priests, for iTunes gift cards.

— waveney ann moore, miamiherald, "They said they were priests. Then they asked for iTunes gift cards for the needy.," 1 June 2018
One of these post-midnight searches led me to Anima Mundi's Lucid Dreaming Tea, which purportedly promotes sleep and dreams with a potent blend of herbs like ashwagandha, kava, and calea.

— the healthyish team, Bon Appetit, "The Healthyish Guide to Finally Getting a Good Night's Sleep," 29 May 2018
This premium has more than doubled since January, up 140% to 23 cents per pound—even though the tariffs did nothing to increase the costs the fee purportedly tracks.

— pete coors, WSJ, "In a Trade War, It’s Hard to Get a Head," 14 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purportedly.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.