purportedly
part of speech
adverb (formal)
meaning for a pupil
(formal) According to what is said or claimed, though it may not be true. tree →
sense in the lessons
A formal and news word: «The letter was purportedly written by the queen.» It tells the reader that something is claimed but not proved. In media literacy lessons, it is a signal to check the facts.
examples
- The photo purportedly shows the Loch Ness monster. tree →
- The video was purportedly filmed in space, but it was fake. tree →
- The painting is purportedly by a famous artist. tree →
- The email was purportedly from the bank, but it was a scam. tree →
- The treasure was purportedly buried on the island. tree →
- The note was purportedly signed by the headteacher. tree →
note
Formal adverb. Related: purport (to claim), purported (adjective). Similar: allegedly, supposedly, reportedly. Online safety: an email «purportedly» from a bank or school might be a scam; check with an adult.
Trees and pragmatics
Every meaning and example of «purportedly» parsed by Mova, each sentence with its dependency tree and frames.