First Known Use: 15th century
Dictionary
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
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Origin of PURPORT
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
1
: 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>
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First Known Use of PURPORT
15th century
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