purport
1
8.4
- noun
- /pərˈpɔrt/
- Formal
:
sentido
- She summarized the purport of the article, highlighting its main arguments and conclusions.
Examples
-
To Stout, the "full purport" of maintaining "American standards" was that achieving economic independence meant not being beholden to any man.
Academic text (2002) -
Just what is the history, not to repeat, at all exclusive to academic authors, that the purport of Suvorov's work could demolish, should its arguments hold?
Academic text (1996) -
The true meaning and purport of it he did not know, but God would show it to him in his own time.
Academic text (2018) -
She took the same grim satisfaction in any discovery, no matter its purport, which was part of what made her good at her job.
Fiction book (1990) -
The purport of Benedict's authoritative teaching was that saved persons do not experience varying degrees of heavenly bliss throughout their lives in blessedness.
Academic text (2006) -
A common approach to metaphysical questions is to review a series of answers, each of which seeks to remedy the defects of its predecessor until we reach an answer the purport of which we believe we can clearly and distinctly conceive.
Academic text (1998) -
The purport of the speech was to inspire the audience to take action towards climate change.
-
The committee was unclear about the purport of the new policy and sought clarification.
Synonyms
506
4.1
The basic character of a time, place, or action
417
3.4
The reason someone does or says something
41
4.0
The general meaning of what someone says or writes
An aim behind an action or statement
How Clear
Surface Forms
Etymology
Purport comes from the Latin verb portare, which means 'to carry', and it shares this root with words like transport and portable. So the purport of a text is what it 'carries' — its main meaning.