Meaning & use
purported
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Meanings
adjectivebefore a nounformal
Said to be true or real by someone, though there is no proof and the claim may be wrong.
Grammar: Always comes before a noun: the purported author, a purported attack.
The museum bought a purported Rembrandt, but experts have not confirmed it.
Police are investigating the purported theft of the painting.
The purported leader of the group denied any involvement.
verbtransitiveformal
Past tense and past participle of purport, meaning to claim to be or to do something, often falsely.
Grammar: Followed by a to-infinitive: the letter purported to be from the bank.
Patterns
- purport to be something
- purport to do something
The email purported to come from the bank, but it was a scam.
The study purported to show a link between the two habits.
The book purported to reveal the truth about the incident.
Common combinations
- the purported author
- The purported author of the letter has never been identified.
- a purported leader
- A purported leader of the movement was arrested.
- purported benefits
- The supplement's purported benefits have not been proven.
- a purported attack
- Officials are investigating the purported attack.
- purported to be
- The message purported to be from the manager.
Synonyms and how they differ
- alleged
- Alleged is common in legal and news reports about wrongdoing, and it stresses that something is claimed but not yet proven in court.
- supposed
- Supposed shows widespread belief and often a little doubt, while purported is more formal and suggests someone is making a claim.
- claimed
- Claimed is the plain everyday word and is less formal than purported.
- reputed
- Reputed means generally said or believed to be so, based on public opinion, rather than a specific claim.
Opposites
Word family
- purport verb
- to claim to be or do something
- purport noun
- the meaning or main idea of something (formal)
- purportedly adverb
- according to what is claimed, though unproven
Commonly confused: purported or reported?
purported vs reported
Reported means someone has said it happened, with no doubt implied. Purported suggests the claim may not be true.
Practice
The museum bought a ___ Rembrandt, though experts have not yet confirmed the artist.
Choose one answer.
Purported means claimed but not proven. Verified, authentic and confirmed all say the painting has been proven real, which contradicts the doubt in the sentence.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “purported”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.