VCR Lesson 8
Jamie Lee 4b
Fill in the Blank
The EPA found discrepancies between Volkswagen's _________ emission levels during regulatory testing and real-world driving.
purport
tr. v.
to claim; to profess (without giving proof); to appear to be
n.
the meaning or purpose
Related Words
- Synonyms: pretend, allege, gist (n.)
- Antonyms: disclaim, deny, disprove
Etymology
from Old French purporter (Latin pro- "forth" + portare- "to carry")
- Did not evolve to connote falsity until the late 19th century (originally just "to express")
- Kersey, The New World of Words (1706): Meaning, the Tenour or Substance of a Writing
- Webster, A Compendious Dictionary of the English Language (1806): n. a design, meaning, tendency; v. t. to intend, design, mean, tend, show
- Webster, Fifth Collegiate Dictionary (1936): v. t. To convey or profess outwardly, as one's or its meaning or intention; to have the appearance, often specious, of being, intending, etc.
- Most likely noticed suggestive use in lawmaking and courts (at first oblivious to legal usage and based definitions on literary settings such as Shakespeare)
Choose the Sentence in Which the Word is Used Incorrectly
a) In trial, purported facts are subject to controversy and close investigation.
b) Mitch purports to be an environmentalist yet owns three cars and never recycles.
c) Jay said he found Gloria's joke humorous, but she thought he had found a bone in the upper arm, missing the purport of his compliment.
d) George Eastman was among the first to purport retirement annuity, life insurance, and disability benefit plans to employees.
d) *provide