¹purport

noun pur·port \ˈpər-ˌpȯrt\

: the main or general meaning of something (such as a speech or a person's actions)

Full Definition of PURPORT

: meaning conveyed, professed, or implied : import; also : substance, gist

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Origin of PURPORT

Middle English, from Anglo-French, content, tenor, from purporter to carry, mean, purport, from pur- thoroughly + porter to carry — more at purchase, port

First Known Use: 15th century

Related to PURPORT

Synonyms: content, denotation, drift, import, intent, intention, meaning, sense, significance, signification

Rhymes with PURPORT

abort, airport, amort, aport, assort, athwart, backcourt, bellwort, birthwort, bistort, blood sport, Bridgeport, carport, cavort, cohort, colewort, comport, consort, contort, crosscourt, deport, disport, distort, downcourt, effort, escort, exhort, export, extort, fall short, figwort, forecourt, for short, free port, frontcourt, glasswort, Gosport, Gulfport, half-court, homeport, home port, in short, jetport, lousewort, lungwort, madwort, milkwort, mugwort, Newport, outport, passport, presort, ragwort, report, re-sort, resort, retort, sandwort, seaport, sell short, Shreveport, spaceport, spearwort, spoilsport, Stockport, support, toothwort, transport

²purport

verb pur·port \(ˌ)pər-ˈpȯrt\

: to claim to be or do a particular thing when this claim may not be true

Full Definition of PURPORT

transitive verb

: to have the often specious appearance of being, intending, or claiming (something implied or inferred) <a book that purports to be an objective analysis>; also : claim <foreign novels which he purports to have translated — Mary McCarthy>

: intend, purpose

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