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
Alexandra Ditch, Vogue, 7 Dec. 2025
And Sandspur Beach, newly restored after Hurricane Irma, is a long, pristine stretch perfect for long walks or sunset picnics.
—Carrie Honaker, Travel + Leisure, 7 Dec. 2025
The lawns roll gently toward more than 400 feet of pristine private beach, where the sand gives way to unobstructed views of the water.
—Miriam Schwartz, Boston Herald, 5 Dec. 2025
Best known as an East African tourist destination with its spice farms, clear waters and pristine beaches, Zanzibar now hopes to stake its economic future on offshore oil and gas with a welcome for big investors, President Hussein Ali Mwinyi told Newsweek in an exclusive interview.
—MSNBC Newsweek, 4 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 8 Dec. 2025.
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pristine
adjective
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