Definition of pristine
pristinely
adverbFrom the M-W Editors
pristine was our Word of the Day on 10/16/2013. Hear the podcast!
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Examples of pristine in a Sentence
My office is a mess but her office is always pristine.
He was wearing a pristine white shirt.
Recent Examples of pristine from the Web
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Rolling Meadows Ranch, an equal housing opportunity developer, has spectacular views, nice hardwood trees, pristine rolling pastureland, an abundance of wildlife, and a gorgeous creek running throughout the community.
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Across the nation, once-pristine waterways have become contaminated by farm effluent.
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Park approached its technical demands with calm focus and, for the most part, pristine results, while also impressively underlining the lyricism.
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There’s an undercurrent of country-rock and Americana edge to his adult-friendly pop and guitar rock, which is curiously matched with pristine, polished vocals reminiscent of James Blunt.
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Ranger Janet Folkerts catalogs the items and keeps them in pristine condition.
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Her bosses — donning pristine white gloves every day — just yell or are coldly silent.
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The island, about 77 square miles, is pristine in large part because of an unusual history going back to the 16th-century Portuguese colonization.
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In another, someone dug up a centuries-old ceremonial chamber that had been previously left pristine.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pristine'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Did You Know?
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."
Origin and Etymology of pristine
Latin pristinus; akin to Latin prior
First Known Use: 1534
PRISTINE Defined for English Language Learners
pristine
playDefinition of pristine for English Language Learners
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: in perfect condition : completely clean, fresh, neat, etc.
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: not changed by people : left in its natural state
Learn More about pristine
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Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for pristine Spanish Central: Translation of pristine Nglish: Translation of pristine for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of pristine for Arabic speakers
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