To claim or profess to be something, often falsely; or the intended meaning or substance of something.
From Anglo-Norman purporter, derived from Latin pro- (forth, forward) + portare (to carry), meaning 'to carry forth.' The word entered Middle English in the 14th century, initially meaning to carry forward an intention or meaning, then developing the sense of claiming to carry forth a particular identity or purpose.
While 'import' carries meaning into a situation and 'export' carries goods out, 'purport' carries forth a claim about what something means or represents. All three siblings from the portare family are about carrying significance — whether it's actual goods, implied meaning, or professed identity!
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