purportedly
If something purportedly happened, it may or may not have actually occurred. If your brother purportedly knows nothing about the cookies you left on the kitchen counter, it means he claims to be innocent of cookie theft. Whether or not you believe him, well, that's another story...
When you use purportedly it means you only know what you've been told, or what appears to be the case, not necessarily what the entire truth is. A dog that purportedly doesn't bite is still scary when it's barking at you. And although your friend is purportedly only joking when she says she hates your haircut, it may still hurt your feelings. You can also use the synonyms "supposedly" or "allegedly."
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believed or reputed to be the casesynonyms: supposedly
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Vocabulary lists containing purportedly
Arnold Spirit, Jr., a young cartoonist who lives on the Spokane Indian reservation, decides to transfer to a school in which he will be the only American Indian student.
When eleventh-grader Eliza Quan loses the election for editor in chief to a less qualified male candidate, she starts a protest at her California high school.
In this award-winning book, civil rights lawyer Michelle Alexander argues that the American criminal justice system unfairly targets and penalizes African Americans, resulting in long-term harm to black communities.