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 Latin verb portare, meaning “to carry,” was the port of entry for many an English word, from the noun portfolio to familiar verbs report, support, and transport. (The port a ship uses comes from a different Latin source: portus, meaning “port.”) Purport too ultimately comes from portare, although its direct ancestor is the Anglo-French verb purporter, meaning “to carry” or “to mean.” Today, purport is typically used when someone or something makes a claim that may or may not be true; something purported to be a fact is not at all a sure thing. The skepticism that modern purporting generally requires wasn’t present in the original verb, however. In the late 17th century, a purported claim was assumed as true as any. And three centuries before that, to purport a message, idea, etc., was simply to convey it. Purport can also function as a noun with a meaning closely related to the older verb one: it can refer to the main or general meaning conveyed in a piece of writing, in someone’s actions, etc., as in “the purport of the visit” or “the essay’s purport.”

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Verb
People passed around images purporting to show boxes of illicit ballots on a truck bed, or a left-wing politician posing with Fidel Castro. Jon Lee Anderson, New Yorker, 7 Apr. 2025 One of the grant termination notices, obtained through a records request, purported to cancel funding for the Vaccines for Children program in Kansas, which provides vaccinations to uninsured and Medicaid-eligible children. Jonathan Shorman, Kansas City Star, 5 Apr. 2025 During his rally in Green Bay, Wisconsin, last Sunday, Musk and Antonio Gracias, a longtime friend and DOGE employee at the Social Security Administration, displayed a chart that purported to show over 5 million non-citizens who were issued Social Security numbers between 2021 and 2025. Aaron Navarro, CBS News, 4 Apr. 2025 Meanwhile, birth charts, which dig deeper into the placement of the planets and stars at the specific time and place of someone’s first breath, purport to tell us even more. Alex Abad-Santos, Vox, 4 Apr. 2025 See All Example Sentences for purport

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

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Cite this Entry

“Purport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purport. Accessed 13 Apr. 2025.

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

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