Hello , I can’t understand the use of the word “ purport “. In some dictionaries I found that it means “pretending to be” in others “ convey the meaning of something “ . Which is the correct or the most common use of this word? Thanks 🙏

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Answer

I hear it only rarely and always as a verb meaning ‘to claim, but with the claim being doubted’

She purports to be fluent in Italian but when we were in Rome together I only heard her speak English. (I doubt that she’s fluent.)
He purports to love her, but he sure doesn’t treat her very well.

I’ve never heard the word being used as a noun, which appears in the dictionary.

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