purport

What it means

1. transitiveTo convey, imply, or profess (often falsely or inaccurately).

   He purports himself to be an international man of affairs.

   1 more example

   The intermediate station seen here, Llanbister Road, is 5 hilly miles by road from the town it purports to serve.

   1962 August, “More W.R. services in jeopardy”, in Modern Railways, page 82, photo caption

2. To intend.

   He purported to become an international man of affairs.

   1 more example

   In all cases, however, although micronations may purport to assert sovereignty in any number of ways, they remain conceptually distinct from recognised sovereign states.

   2022, Harry Hobbs, George Williams, “Prince Leonard Prepares for War” (chapter 1), in Micronations and the Search for Sovereignty, Cambridge University Press, →DOI, page 18

In a sentence

He purports himself to be an international man of affairs.

Where it comes from

1. Latinportō“carry”
2. Old Frenchporter“carry”
3. Latinpro“forth”
4. Anglo-Normanpurporter
5. Middle Englishpurporten
6. Englishpurport

From Middle English purporten, from Anglo-Norman purporter and Old French porporter (“convey, contain, carry”), from pur-, from Latin pro (“forth”) + Old French porter (“carry”), from Latin portō (“carry”).