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
David Caraccio, Sacbee.com, 25 Oct. 2025
Lake Crescent, a deep, pristine lake that was carved by glaciers, is 30 minutes from the hot springs by car.
—Evie Carrick, Travel + Leisure, 24 Oct. 2025
That particular cartoon, alongside numerous others, also looks pristine in HD.
—Eric Vilas-Boas, Vulture, 24 Oct. 2025
Drilling in the pristine region has long been a source of friction between Alaska lawmakers and tribal corporations, who prioritize jobs and revenue, and conservationists who want to preserve the local ecosystem.
—Nichola Groom, USA Today, 23 Oct. 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 Oct. 2025.
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pristine
adjective
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