purify

verb

pu·ri·fy | \ ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī

purified; purifying

Definition of purify

transitive verb

: to make pure: such as

a : to clear from material defilement or imperfection

b : to free from guilt or moral or ceremonial blemish

c : to free from undesirable elements

intransitive verb

: to grow or become pure or clean

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Examples of purify in a Sentence

We purified the water by boiling it. You can purify the air with a filtration system. a bottle of purified water She believed she could purify herself through constant prayer.

Recent Examples on the Web

The complex process needed to grow and purify the proteins means a copycat biosimilar will never be identical to the original drug. — NBC News, "Future is in doubt for cheaper versions of biologic drugs," 27 June 2019 Cellular components such as the filaments that give cells structure also display collective behavior but are difficult to isolate and purify, while synthetic particles with the right properties are hard to produce. — Quanta Magazine, "Swirling Bacteria Linked to the Physics of Phase Transitions," 16 June 2019 Electrify to purify Adventurers opting for lightweight convenience might also consider an electrolytic water purifying device. — Sunny Fitzgerald, National Geographic, "6 plastic-free ways to travel with safe drinking water," 7 Mar. 2019 An international team of engineers collaborated on a device that uses solar power not to harvest water, but to purify and desalinate it. — Stephen Ornes, Discover Magazine, "State of Science: A Flood of New Solar Water Harvesters," 1 Jan. 2019 As Pastuzyn repeatedly tried to purify Arc, however, the single protein kept self-assembling into a more complex structure. — Quanta Magazine, "Cells Talk in a Language That Looks Like Viruses," 2 May 2018 If rolled out on bus stops across the city, the company hopes that rooftop plants could help reduce the temperature, purify the air around the bus stop and curb the risk of flash floods by absorbing stormwater. — Stephanie Bailey, CNN, "Green roofs are sprouting up on buses," 10 June 2019 The unicorn has long been a fierce symbol of Scotland, known as a powerful and mysterious creature—lured forth only by a maiden—whose horn could purify water. — James Hookway, WSJ, "Unicorn, Comeback Symbol of Scottish Independence, Is a Hit With Little Girls," 4 June 2019 But now a group of researchers from Columbia University have developed a process designed to purify industrial hypersaline brines. — David Grossman, Popular Mechanics, "We Might Finally Be Able to Safely Drink Salt Water," 8 May 2019

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