purview

noun

pur·​view ˈpər-ˌvyü How to pronounce purview (audio)
1
a
: the body or enacting part of a statute
b
: the limit, purpose, or scope of a statute
2
: the range or limit of authority, competence, responsibility, concern, or intention
3
: range of vision, understanding, or cognizance

Did you know?

It may not be illogical to assume a connection between purview and view, but is there one? Not exactly. Although the two words share a syllable, you’ll find that they have very different histories as viewed in the etymological rearview mirror. Purview comes from purveu, a word often found in the legal statutes of 13th- and 14th-century England. These statutes, written in Anglo-French, regularly open with the phrase purveu est, which translates literally to "it is provided." Purveu in turn comes from porveu, the past participle of the Old French verb porveeir, meaning "to provide." View, on the other hand, comes (via Middle English) from the past participle of another Anglo-French word, veer, meaning "to see," and ultimately from the Latin word vidēre, of the same meaning.

Examples of purview in a Sentence

After the true shock and awe of a campaign of massive surplus, as in the Gulf War, no regime would have risked its survival by failing to go after the terrorists within its purview. Mark Helprin, Wall Street Journal, 17 May 2004
It is the use of informal, back channels outside public or congressional purview—designed partly to thwart publicity and partly to hold down the temperature of disputes within the government—that critics say denies the protections of open government. Bob Woodward et al., Washington Post, 20-26 Jan. 1992
… the contemporary university, though, has reached beyond the purview of education, and it has thereby become entangled in problems it lacks the means to resolve. Louis Menand, Harper's, December 1991
The case is within the court's purview. That question is outside my purview. The moral dilemmas of the early settlers are beyond the purview of this book.
Recent Examples on the Web This is something that falls directly under your HR team's purview. Laura Coccaro, Forbes, 17 Oct. 2024 Just 1 percent of the total area under RSG’s purview will be developed. Prasad Ramamurthy, Travel + Leisure, 11 Oct. 2024 There are numerous ways to bolster the diplomatic workforce, many of which are within the purview of the State Department, such as offering staff additional incentives to serve in remote locations. Charles Edel, Foreign Affairs, 10 Oct. 2024 Now, the Vision Products Group will be under the purview of Ternus, who has been rumored as a candidate to replace CEO Tim Cook in the future. Wes Davis, The Verge, 9 Oct. 2024 See all Example Sentences for purview 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'purview.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English purveu, from Anglo-French purveu est it is provided (opening phrase of a statute)

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of purview was in the 15th century

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Dictionary Entries Near purview

Cite this Entry

“Purview.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purview. Accessed 31 Oct. 2024.

Legal Definition

purview

noun
pur·​view ˈpər-ˌvyü How to pronounce purview (audio)
1
: the body of a statute or the part that begins with Be it enacted and ends before the repealing clause
2
: the limit or scope of a law
Etymology

Anglo-French purveu est it is provided (opening phrase of a statute)

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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