pristine
adjective
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."
Examples of pristine in a Sentence
Zoe Baillargeon, Travel + Leisure, 29 Apr. 2026
Held from July 23-26 on the Blackfeet Reservation and boasting a lineup including Neurosis, 16 Horsepower, and Enslaved, the intent behind Fire in the Mountains is something deeper and more noble than inviting a flock of metalheads to the pristine Montana wilderness.
—David Harris, SPIN, 27 Apr. 2026
From the pristine production to the runs and riffs, Kehlani puts on a masterclass of technical songbuilding and lyrical storytelling.
—Adelle Platon, VIBE.com, 27 Apr. 2026
While the entire National Seashore is known for its pristine, undeveloped beaches, Shackleford Banks is famous because of its only residents, the Shackleford Horses, a herd of wild Spanish horses that roam freely on the island.
—Tara Massouleh McCay, Southern Living, 27 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pristine
Cite this Entry
“Pristine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pristine. Accessed 30 Apr. 2026.
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pristine
adjective
