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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
Rev. Dr. Serene Jones, TIME, 17 Mar. 2025
Emails that purport to come from a trusted brand, and there are many ways that this can be achieved, from simple spoofing to the exploitation of elaborate technical loopholes, are often the most convincing.
—Davey Winder, Forbes, 15 Mar. 2025
Wu was asked about Flaherty’s quarter-million dollar payout through a severance agreement, and purported cronyism revealed by Commission records that show the agency’s Executive Director Henry Vitale had two sister-in-laws and a nephew on the payroll last year.
—Gayla Cawley, Boston Herald, 13 Mar. 2025
Bloomberg’s Mark Gurman was the first to report on Sonos’ purported streaming ambitions.
—Ars Technica, 12 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purport
Cite this Entry
“Purport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purport. Accessed 23 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
purport
1 of 2 noun
purport
2 of 2 verb
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