The word for today is…
purport (verb) – To have or present the often false appearance of being or intending; claim or profess.
(noun) – 1. Meaning that is presented, intended, or implied.
- Intention; purpose.
Source : The Free Dictionary
Etymology : The verb purport may be more familiar nowadays, but purport exists as a noun that passed into English from Anglo-French in the 15th century as a synonym of gist. Sir Walter Scott provides us with an example from his 19th-century novel Rob Roy: “I was a good deal mortified at the purport of this letter.” Anglo-French also has the verb purporter (meaning both “to carry” and “to mean”), which combines the prefix pur- (“thoroughly”) and the verb porter (“to carry”). In its original English use, the verb purport meant “to signify”; the “to profess or claim” sense familiar to modern English speakers didn’t appear until the 17th century.
If you enjoyed this BFD word of the day please consider sharing it with your friends.
