pristine

adjective pris·tine \ ˈpri-ˌstēn , pri-ˈstēn , especially British ˈpri-ˌstīn \

|Updated on: 9 Aug 2018

Examples: pristine in a Sentence

Editor's Note: Did You Know?

Definition of pristine

1 : belonging to the earliest period or state : original

the hypothetical pristine lunar atmosphere

2 a : not spoiled, corrupted, or polluted (as by civilization) : pure

a pristine forest

b : fresh and clean as or as if new

used books in pristine condition

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pristinely

adverb

See pristine defined for English-language learners

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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

Though both the dress and jumpsuit made Cuoco look ethereal, only one of the looks survived the night in pristine condition.

— karen mizoguchi, PEOPLE.com, "Kaley Cuoco Reveals There's Still Ketchup on Her Wedding Jumpsuit - and More Bridal Wardrobe Scoop!," 12 July 2018
However, Japan left the room in pristine condition and included a note that said thank you in Russian.

— pete grathoff, kansascity, "After gut-wrenching loss at World Cup, Japan left nice note in spotless locker room," 3 July 2018
Set on three-quarters of an acre, the pristine International-style home was designed by Case Study architect Thornton Abell and built in 1956.

— jack flemming, latimes.com, "Mega-producer Jerry Bruckheimer pulls in $11.5 million for Brentwood estate," 16 June 2018
Libraries, concert halls, hospitals, homeless shelters, even vast expanses of pristine wilderness—these are things that, once bought and paid for, can be seen, experienced, and enjoyed.

— felix salmon, WIRED, "Musk, Zuckerberg, Bezos, and Ethically Iffy ‘Philanthropy," 15 May 2018
The Canadian government was concerned about the pristine wilderness on the country’s Porcupine caribou herd, named for the river that spans its range into Alaska.

— ari natter, Bloomberg.com, "Senator Eyes Canada Oil Tax After Alaska Drilling Clash," 10 May 2018
Heading west into the Rockies from Edmonton, stop at the Miette Hot Springs (pictured above) in Jasper National Park to soak in 104-degree pools while surrounded by pristine mountain wilderness.

— Sunset, "Banff & Jasper N.P. Itineraries," 22 Jan. 2018
The setting is pristine, with clear, blue water, what feels to me like the perfect temperature, tucked in a mountain pocket edged by granite.

— tom stienstra, SFChronicle.com, "Hot sun, full moon, cool water make for surreal swims," 28 June 2018
That left Loaisiga’s line pristine: one hit, two walks and eight strikeouts in five and one-third innings on 86 pitches.

— New York Times, "Yankees End Skid, but Lose Gary Sanchez for Several Weeks," 25 June 2018

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."