Standard Lemma guide

purportedly

adv · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • Received-Pronunciation: /pəˈpɔː.təd.li/
  • Canada, General-American: /pɚˈpoɹ.tɪd.li/
  • Canada, General-American: [pɚˈpoɹ.ɾɪd.li]
  • Canada, General-American: /pɚˈpoʊɹ.tɪd.li/
  • Southeast US Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P ER0 P AO1 R T IH0 D L IY2 Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

adv

Meaning 1

As appears to be true or is stated or accepted to be (though might not be so).

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

Usage: not-comparable

Examples

  • Near-synonyms: reportedly, reputedly, putatively, rumoredly, supposedly, allegedly, ostensibly, possibly, probably, likely, plausibly

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: reportedly, reputedly, putatively, rumoredly, supposedly, allegedly, ostensibly, possibly, probably, likely, plausibly

Antonyms: none provided

2

adverb

Meaning 2

believed or reputed to be the case

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: supposedly

Antonyms: none provided

History

Etymology

Etymology tree English purported Middle English -ly English -ly English purportedly From purported + -ly.

Across languages

Translations

14 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Chinese Mandarin: 表面上 (biǎomiànshang) — as appears or is said to be true
  • Finnish: oletettavasti — as appears or is said to be true
  • Finnish: mukamas — as appears or is said to be true
  • German: angeblich — as appears or is said to be true
  • German: vermeintlich — as appears or is said to be true
  • German: vorbeglich — as appears or is said to be true
  • Irish: de réir cosúlachta — as appears or is said to be true
  • Irish: de réir dealraimh — as appears or is said to be true
  • Māori: ko te tikanga ... — as appears or is said to be true
  • Russian: предположи́тельно (predpoložítelʹno) — as appears or is said to be true
  • Spanish: presuntamente — as appears or is said to be true
  • Turkish: güya — as appears or is said to be true
  • Turkish: sözde — as appears or is said to be true
  • Unami: luwèn — as appears or is said to be true