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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.”
Synonyms
Examples of purport in a Sentence
Thomas G. Moukawsher, Newsweek, 5 Nov. 2024
For example, a video circulating on social media falsely purports to show a Haitian immigrant claiming to have voted multiple times in Georgia was blamed on Russians, according to the Office of the Director of National Intelligence, the FBI and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency.
—Bart Jansen, USA TODAY, 5 Nov. 2024
Driving the news: Two videos circulating online purported to be from the FBI, the agency said on Tuesday.
—April Rubin, Axios, 5 Nov. 2024
However, that is easier said than done, as in order to make the TCJA permanent, doing so, in its most general terms, would require creating additional revenue for the Treasury Department to make up for the purported lost revenue that TCJA caused under certain calculations.
—Darren T. Case, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024
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Dictionary Entries Near purport
Cite this Entry
“Purport.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purport. Accessed 26 Nov. 2024.
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purport
1 of 2 noun
purport
2 of 2 verb
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