pur·port • v. / pərˈpôrt/ appear or claim to be or do something, esp. falsely; profess: she is not the person she purports to be.• n. / ˈpərˌpôrt/ the meaning or substance of something, typically a document or speech: I do not understand the purport of your remarks. ∎  the purpose of a person or thing: the purport of existence.DERIVATIVES: pur·port·ed·ly adv.

purport tenor or substance of a document, etc. XV. — AN., OF. pur-, porport produce, contents, f. purporter :— medL. prōportāre, f. L. prō PRO-1 + portāre carry, bear.
So purport vb. state, mean. XVI. — OF. purporter.

PURPORT

To convey, imply, or profess; to have an appearance or effect.

The purport of an instrument generally refers to its facial appearance or import, as distinguished from the tenor of an instrument, which means an exact copy or duplicate.