purport

[ verb per-pawrt, -pohrt, pur-pawrt, -pohrt; noun pur-pawrt, -pohrt ]
See synonyms for: purportpurportedpurportingpurportless on Thesaurus.com

verb (used with object)
  1. to present, especially deliberately, the appearance of being; profess or claim, often falsely: a document purporting to be official.

  2. to convey to the mind as the meaning or thing intended; express or imply.

noun
  1. the meaning, import, or sense: the main purport of your letter.

  2. purpose; intention; object: the main purport of their visit to France.

Origin of purport

1
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

synonym study For purport

3. See meaning.

Other words for purport

Other words from purport

  • pur·port·less, adjective

Words Nearby purport

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use purport in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for purport

purport

verb(pɜːˈpɔːt) (tr)
  1. to claim (to be a certain thing, etc) by manner or appearance, esp falsely

  2. (esp of speech or writing) to signify or imply

noun(ˈpɜːpɔːt)
  1. meaning; significance

  2. purpose; object; intention

Origin of purport

1
C15: from Anglo-French: contents, from Old French porporter to convey, from por- forth + porter to carry, from Latin portāre

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012