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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
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.
Dan Bernstein, Sportico.com, 14 May 2025
The legal function is an enterprise strategic asset and a trusted advisor whose purview has become far broader than the narrow boundaries of its legacy role.
—Mark A. Cohen, Forbes.com, 12 May 2025
Gary London, London Moeder Advisors YES: Why is Port property even within the purview of the Coastal Commission?
—Phillip Molnar, San Diego Union-Tribune, 1 May 2025
While the panels meeting this week have purview over less-controversial parts of the Trump agenda bill, the markups are the first time the public is learning about the specifics in the legislation — a significant step in the process.
—Mychael Schnell, The Hill, 28 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purview
Cite this Entry
“Purview.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purview. Accessed 19 May. 2025.
Copy CitationLegal Definition
purview
noun
Anglo-French purveu est it is provided (opening phrase of a statute)
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