purport
Americanverb (used with object)
-
purports,
present (3rd person singular)
-
purported,
past participle, past
-
purporting
present participle
noun
-
the meaning, import, or sense.
the main purport of your letter.
- Synonyms:
- gist, trend, drift, implication
-
purpose; intention; object.
the main purport of their visit to France.
verb
-
to claim (to be a certain thing, etc) by manner or appearance, esp falsely
-
(esp of speech or writing) to signify or imply
noun
-
meaning; significance
-
purpose; object; intention
Synonym Usage
See meaning.
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Participles
Conjugated Forms
Present
-
purportsimple
-
purportssimple
-
have purportedperfect
-
has purportedperfect
-
am purportingprogressive
-
are purportingprogressive
-
is purportingprogressive
-
have been purportingperfect progressive
-
has been purportingperfect progressive
Past
-
purportedsimple
-
had purportedperfect
-
was purportingprogressive
-
were purportingprogressive
-
had been purportingperfect progressive
Future
Etymology
Origin of purport
First recorded in 1375–1425; (verb) late Middle English purporten, from Anglo-French purporter “to mean, signify,” Old French porporter “to carry, convey,” equivalent to pur- pro- 1 + porter “to carry” (from Latin portāre ); (noun) late Middle English, from Anglo-French, derivative of the verb
Explanation
Use purport when you want to convince people about something that might not be true, like when you purport that the dog ate your homework. The verb purport can mean "to claim" — whether you mean it or not — or "to intend," like when you purport to study all night. So it makes sense that as a noun, purport means the intention or purpose, like the purport of a political candidate's speech was to get your vote. If the speech was long and hard to follow, you might be lucky just to get the purport, which here means "the main point or meaning."
Vocabulary lists containing purport
The Vocabulary.com Top 1000
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Grade 12, List 1
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Words That Could Go Either Way: Synonyms for "Maybe"
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
See Examples For:
Boulder County’s lawsuit is not some novel attempt by a municipality to regulate greenhouse emissions around the world, and it does not purport to control any activity outside of its borders.
From Slate ● Oct. 5, 2026
How ironic that social media is the new breeding ground for the kind of toxicity that the people mining Panettiere’s death for views purport to abhor.
From Salon ● Aug. 18, 2026
"The government of Kenya cannot own my health data -- that's my private property. The government cannot purport to trade in my private property," he added.
From Barron's ● Jun. 24, 2026
Avoid those who purport to guarantee the IRS will pay.
From MarketWatch ● May 27, 2026
I did not hear of this charade until the next day, and did not understand its purport; rather thinking it a pleasant interlude from the more brutal games of the Sons of Liberty.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
The Truth Social post purports to show the US president saluting beside his Chinese counterpart, with Xi's Air China aircraft forming the backdrop and a military jet soaring overhead.
From Barron's ● Sep. 25, 2026
“Transparency means that the use of AI is disclosed to readers in a clear, honest, and obvious manner,” Pangram, which makes an AI tool that purports to identify AI-generated writing, asserts on its marketing blog.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026
“While the District’s letter purports to recite other ‘issues of concern,’ it does so in an incomplete and misleading manner — as we set forth in our response to the District.
From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 4, 2026
The platform purports to be the first prediction market of its kind, pricing county and city wildfire risk in real time.
From Slate ● Jun. 30, 2026
And how do I know she is what she purports to be?
From "Cat's Eye" by Margaret Atwood
MeritServus signed and backdated documents which falsely purported to show the BVI company had owned the $10bn fortune since 20 November 2003.
From BBC ● Oct. 12, 2026
One purported option involved taking a $12 million payment to stay publicly silent about the split.
From MarketWatch ● Oct. 9, 2026
Their purported benefits are largely anecdotal, but peptides are receiving endorsements from influencers, podcasters, alternative-medicine doctors, and even Health and Human Services Secretary Robert F. Kennedy, Jr., who has said he is a “big fan.”
From The Wall Street Journal ● Oct. 6, 2026
Nathan is alleged to have instructed Case to write copy that would “follow along the lines of a purported ‘whistleblower’ narrative.”
From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 26, 2026
Eisenhower had considerably exaggerated the scientists’ purported accomplishment.
From "Big Science" by Michael Hiltzik
The kerfuffle lingered in headlines on Wednesday as a news outlet released surveillance video from Art of Play purporting to show Clarkson's visit.
From BBC ● Oct. 14, 2026
Gates said he resigned, alleged the Register had relied on fake records, and shared a partially redacted Justice Department letter with The Times purporting to show he had voluntarily left.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 1, 2026
Hellmich had "used forged documents and a false email address" purporting to belong to Campbell, the tribunal ruled.
From Barron's ● Oct. 1, 2026
Two people purporting to be from the auction house Phillips showed up at the Perlmans’ home with business cards to reassure them the works were genuine.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 12, 2026
It was unsigned, but there were several clear references which made it plain that Bunny Corcoran, or someone purporting to be him, was the author.
From "The Secret History" by Donna Tartt
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