Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • transitive verb To have or present the often false appearance of being or intending; claim or profess.
  • noun Meaning that is presented, intended, or implied; import. synonym: substance.
  • noun Intention; purpose.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • To convey to the mind as the meaning or thing intended; imply; mean, or seem to mean: as, the document purported to be official.
  • noun Meaning; tenor; import; nature: as, the purport of a letter.
  • noun Pretext; disguise; covering.
  • noun Synonyms Gist, drift, sense, signification.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Design or tendency; meaning; import; tenor.
  • noun obsolete Disguise; covering.
  • transitive verb To intend to show; to intend; to mean; to signify; to import; -- often with an object clause or infinitive.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • verb To convey, imply, or profess outwardly, often falsely.
  • verb To intend.
  • noun import, intention or purpose

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the intended meaning of a communication
  • verb have the often specious appearance of being, intending, or claiming
  • verb propose or intend
  • noun the pervading meaning or tenor

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English purporten, to set forth, from Anglo-Norman purporter : pur-, forth (from Latin prō-; see pro–) + porter, to carry (from Latin portāre; see per- in Indo-European roots).]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Anglo-Norman, from purporter ("contain"), from Old French pur-, from Latin pro ("forth") + Old French porter ("carry"), from Latin portō ("carry").

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Examples

  • Admittedly, this is much ado about nothing since the Dems control the legislature and the state, and the few state republicans left will watch gleefully as the dems once again purport to tell the voters what's good for them. ichong

    Patrick supports Kennedy's wish for interim senator 2009

  • Not a penny of it has reached the contracted artists the labels purport to represent.

    RIAA: beginning of the end 2005

  • *** The main purport of my writing is, to tell you that we have found a house for the next half year.

    Letter 224 1797

  • To the same purport is v. 8, for the transgression of my people was he smitten, the stroke was upon him that should have been upon us; and so some read it, He was cut off for the iniquity of my people, unto whom the stroke belonged, or was due.

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume IV (Isaiah to Malachi) 1721

  • We have many promises to this purport from the mouth of our Lord Jesus, and all to encourage faith, the principal grace, and prayer, the principal duty, of a

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume V (Matthew to John) 1721

  • To the same purport is that (v. 14), That good thing which was committed unto thee keep by the Holy

    Commentary on the Whole Bible Volume VI (Acts to Revelation) 1721

  • While the lenders reserved all other rights and remedies that might be available under the credit agreement, but "did not by its terms purport to accelerate the maturity of the obligations outstanding."

    SiliconBeat 2009

  • While the lenders reserved all other rights and remedies that might be available under the credit agreement, but "did not by its terms purport to accelerate the maturity of the obligations outstanding."

    SiliconBeat 2009

  • While the labels purport to "help customers find their stores 'healthiest foods," Stier reminds us,

    Medlogs - Recent stories 2009

  • While the lenders reserved all other rights and remedies that might be available under the credit agreement, but "did not by its terms purport to accelerate the maturity of the obligations outstanding."

    SiliconBeat 2009

Comments

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  • There is Peterson-inspired fan art, including a painting of him arguing with transgender students and an old-fashioned medicine label for "Dr. Peterson’s Sort Yourself Out Syrup," which purports to cure, among other ailments, "identity politics" and "bloody postmodernism."

    January 18, 2018