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Synonyms

purport

American  
[per-pawrt, -pohrt, pur-pawrt, -pohrt, pur-pawrt, -pohrt] / pərˈpɔrt, -ˈpoʊrt, ˈpɜr pɔrt, -poʊrt, ˈpɜr pɔrt, -poʊrt /

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.

    Synonyms:
    signify, intend, mean

noun

  1. the meaning, import, or sense.

    the main purport of your letter.
    Synonyms:
    gist, trend, drift, implication

  2. purpose; intention; object.

    the main purport of their visit to France.
purport British  

verb

  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

"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

noun

  1. meaning; significance

  2. purpose; object; intention

"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

Related Words

See meaning.

Other Word Forms

  • purportless adjective

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

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.

But such analyses purport to find a shrinking middle class even as incomes across the board rise significantly, which should give readers pause.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 11, 2026

These are guys who purport to be data-driven, quantitative, hard-numbers people.

From Slate • Aug. 15, 2025

By doing that, its critics are no better than the artless, ahistorical fascists they purport to abhor.

From Salon • May 6, 2025

These laws purport to be based on sound medical concerns.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 7, 2025

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

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.