What context can I use each word in?
Learn when and how to use these words with these examples!
purportedly
Example
The company's CEO purportedly resigned due to personal reasons. [purportedly: adverb]
Example
The book purportedly contains secret information about the government's operations. [purportedly: adverb]
supposedly
Example
The new restaurant supposedly has the best pizza in town. [supposedly: adverb]
Example
The meeting was supposedly scheduled for 2 PM, but it got postponed. [supposedly: adverb]
Good things to know
Which word is more common?
Supposedly is more commonly used than purportedly in everyday language.
Whatโs the difference in the tone of formality between purportedly and supposedly?
Purportedly is more formal than supposedly, and is often used in legal or journalistic contexts.
