pristine
adjective
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When pristine was anglicized in the 16th century, people borrowed the meanings of "early" and "original" from the Latin word pristinus and applied those meanings to what is desirable as well as to what is not. But it has long been a tendency of civilized people to admire a simpler and unsullied past. The supposition is that when things were in their oldest or original state, they were better. Thus, pristine was extended to describe the notion of an unspoiled, uncorrupted, or unpolluted state. And what is unspoiled or uncontaminated may connote the freshness and cleanness of something that has just been made, which explains how pristine has also come to mean "fresh and clean."
Examples of pristine in a Sentence
Anne Thompson, IndieWire, 12 Dec. 2025
One of her more recent takes on a sweatsuit included a pristine white zip-up hoodie paired with matching sweatpants, similar to this on-sale option at Amazon.
—Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 12 Dec. 2025
Weeds had overrun our once pristine garden beds.
—Patricia Shannon, Southern Living, 12 Dec. 2025
Concertgoers at Sphere Las Vegas know that the pristine, directional sound tops any other venue experience.
—Melissa Ruggieri, USA Today, 11 Dec. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pristine
Cite this Entry
“Pristine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pristine. Accessed 15 Dec. 2025.
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pristine
adjective
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