pure

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adjective \ ˈpyu̇r \

Definition of pure

purer; purest

1 a (1) :unmixed with any other matter

pure gold

(2) :free from dust, dirt, or taint

pure spring water

(3) :spotless, stainless

b :free from harshness or roughness and being in tune —used of a musical tone

c of a vowel :characterized by no appreciable alteration of articulation during utterance

2 a :being thus and no other :sheer, unmitigated

pure folly

b (1) :abstract, theoretical

pure research

(2) :a priori

pure mechanics

c :not directed toward exposition of reality or solution of practical problems

pure literature

d :being nonobjective and to be appraised on formal and technical qualities only

pure form

3 a (1) :free from what vitiates, weakens, or pollutes

(2) :containing nothing that does not properly belong

b :free from moral fault or guilt

c :marked by chastity :continent

d (1) :of pure blood and unmixed ancestry

(2) :homozygous in and breeding true for one or more characters

e :ritually clean

4 :having exactly the talents or skills needed for a particular role

a pure shooter in basketball

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pureness

noun

See pure defined for English-language learners

See pure defined for kids

Examples of pure in a Sentence

The company bottles only the purest water.
the pure notes of the flute

Recent Examples of pure from the Web

Second-division Futbol Club Cincinnati of the United Soccer League, during its improbable run to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals this spring and summer, learned well the pure joy of cup competition in soccer.

— patrick brennan, Cincinnati.com, "FC Cincinnati's Open Cup dream ends, NYRB advances to final," 15 Aug. 2017
Honey in this form has never been exposed to air, Brandts said, making it the most pure and flavorful form of honey, his personal favorite.

— kate magill, Howard County Times, "White House beekeeper sweetens Howard County Fair," 11 Aug. 2017
GO HERE: to rediscover the hall-of-fame cooking of legendary chef Bruce Naftaly, who came out of retirement to introduce a new generation of food lovers to the pure pleasures of classic French cooking.

— Bon Appetit, "Marmite," 1 Aug. 2017
U.S. District Judge P. Kevin Castel described Walters as a rich Las Vegas celebrity who sought to exploit his relationship with Davis out of pure greed and to be seen as a winner.

— erik larson, Bloomberg.com, "Vegas Gambler Billy Walters Gets 5 Years for Insider Trading," 27 July 2017
That sounds like a bushel of cornball and might have devolved into pure ick if the director, Dave McCary, didn’t lead from the heart and wasn’t adept at navigating seemingly clashing tones.

— manohla dargis, New York Times, "Review: Cosplay and Comedy in ‘Brigsby Bear’," 27 July 2017
But the shambolic rush through which Trumpcare may become law is a pure creation of Mitch McConnell and the institutional party.

— jonathan chait, Daily Intelligencer, "Trumpcare Is the Worst-Designed Social Policy in History," 24 July 2017
Indiana is also prioritizing a pure point guard in 2018, a floor leader who can develop at the head of the Hoosiers’ offense long term.

— zach osterman, The Courier-Journal, "Why Archie Miller and IU must keep Romeo Langford in Indiana," 18 July 2017
Alternative solutions like waterless dyes save water by applying pure dye on its own with no chemical additives.

— nina garcia, Marie Claire, "Miroslava Duma on the Biggest Sustainability Problems Facing the Fashion Industry," 17 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of pure

Middle English pur, from Anglo-French, from Latin purus; akin to Old High German fowen to sift, Sanskrit punāti he cleanses, Middle Irish úr fresh, new

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

See Words from the same year

pure Synonyms

Synonyms

absolute, fine, neat, plain, purified, refined, straight, unadulterated, unalloyed, undiluted, unmixed

Antonyms

adulterated, alloyed, diluted, impure, mixed

Related Words

clarified, filtered; clean, fresh, taintless, uncontaminated, uncorrupted, undefiled, unpolluted, untainted; rendered, tried; concentrated, full-bodied, strong; uncombined

Near Antonyms

befouled, besmirched, contaminated, corrupted, debased, defiled, fouled, polluted, soiled, spoiled, sullied, tainted; unclarified; amalgamated, blended, coalesced, combined, commingled, compounded, incorporated, intermingled, intermixed, merged, mingled; conjoined, fused, joined, linked, united; cheapened, doctored, watered-down

Synonym Discussion of pure

chaste, pure, modest, decent mean free from all taint of what is lewd or salacious. chaste primarily implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or not sanctioned by marriage vows.

- they maintained chaste relations

pure differs from chaste in implying innocence and absence of temptation rather than control of one's impulses and actions.

- the pure of heart

modest and decent apply especially to deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity.

- preferred more modest swimsuits
- decent people didn't go to such movies

PURE Defined for English Language Learners

pure

play

adjective

Definition of pure for English Language Learners

: not mixed with anything else
: clean and not harmful in any way
: having a smooth and clear sound that is not mixed with any other sounds

PURE Defined for Kids

pure

play

adjective \ ˈpyu̇r \

Definition of pure for Students

purer; purest

1 :not mixed with anything else :free from everything that might injure or lower the quality

pure water

pure silk

2 :free from sin :innocent, chaste

3 :nothing other than :total

pure nonsense

—

purely

adverb

Medical Dictionary

pure

play

adjective \ ˈpyu̇(ə)r \

medical Definition of pure

purer; purest

1 :unmixed with any other matter

pure gold

2 :free from dust, dirt, or taint

pure food

3 a :of unmixed ancestry :purebred

b :homozygous in and breeding true for one or more characters

—

pureness

noun

Law Dictionary

pure

adjective

legal Definition of pure

1 a :unmixed with any other matter

b :free from dirt or taint

2 :being thus and nothing other

a pure no-fault compensation system

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purely

adverb

—

pureness

noun

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PURE Defined for English Language Learners

pure

Definition of pure for English Language Learners

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purely

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pure

medical Definition of pure

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pure

legal Definition of pure

purely

pureness

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