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
Alexandre Marain, Glamour, 28 Dec. 2025
Areas to Visit Old Town The heart of the island is undoubtedly the walled Old Town, a UNESCO World Heritage site and a pristine example of the Gothic period.
—Sarah Souli, Travel + Leisure, 28 Dec. 2025
When a new neighbor joins the cul-de-sac, old secrets are unearthed and start to chip the paint off the pristine facade of suburban living.
—Lucy Ford, Time, 27 Dec. 2025
As online reviews turn vicious and everyone from staff to local collaborators falls under suspicion, Orsa must uncover the saboteur before the evening—and her pristine reputation—crumbles.
—Kait Hanson, Southern Living, 26 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 29 Dec. 2025.
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pristine
adjective
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