purporter

Purporter is a rarely used English noun describing a person who purports to be or to do something—someone who makes claims of identity, status, or expertise, often without substantiation. The term can be neutral when describing a sincere assertion, but it more commonly carries a skeptical or critical tone when the claims appear dubious or unverified.

Origin and meaning: Purporter is formed from the verb purport with the agent suffix -er, following the same pattern as other agent-noun formations. Purport means to profess or claim to be something or to have done something, and a purporter is the person who does the professing.

Usage: In historical or literary writing, purporter may describe someone presenting themselves as something they are not, such as a self-styled scholar or noble. In contemporary prose, the word is rare and can be perceived as arch or precise, so writers often choose "claimant," "self-styled," "impostor," or "pretender" depending on nuance.

See also: purport, impostor, claimant, pretender.