purify

verb pu·ri·fy \ ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī \

|Updated on: 12 Aug 2018

Examples: purify in a Sentence

Definition of purify

purified; purifying

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

—

purifier

play \ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

See purify defined for English-language learners

See purify defined for kids

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 of purify from the Web

Meanwhile, an interior green wall is designed to purify air and an exterior plant wall acts as a foundation for micro-farming.

— liz stinson, Curbed, "Tiny house from UN Environment and Yale raises the bar for eco-living," 11 July 2018
Gentry received two blood transfusions and was placed on dialysis, which purified her blood and prevented the further spread of her infection, allowing her to heal.

— Fox News, "Emotional moment mom meets her baby for first time after she went into septic shock during labor," 10 July 2018
In the last century the whole world was scandalized about what the Nazis did to purify the race.

— james hohmann, Washington Post, "The Daily 202: Trump team cannot get its story straight on separating migrant families," 18 June 2018
Last century, the whole world was scandalized by what the Nazis did to purify the race.

— nicole winfield, BostonGlobe.com, "Pope: Abortion is ‘white glove’ equivalent to Nazi crimes," 17 June 2018
Last fall, Buick put the air ionizer, which purifies the air inside a car, in the 2018 Encore in China, U.S., Mexico and Canada and the 2018 Enclave in North America.

— jamie l. lareau, Detroit Free Press, "The GM brand that nearly died and the unlikely buyers saving it," 27 June 2018
But one method, called HYP, extracted and purified a sample of a single amino acid, hydroxyproline, from the collagen sample.

— kiona n. smith, Ars Technica, "New study adds evidence to debate over the only known Clovis burial," 18 June 2018
In the future, the material could be incorporated into devices that purify air and water, or be used as advanced bandages, especially because silk already has cooling effects that can help treat inflammation.

— laura yan, Popular Mechanics, "Meet the Surprising Medical Material of the Future: Silk," 5 May 2018
Last July, Lindzy, a 59-year-old mother of two who lives in Fort Wayne, started on dialysis, turning to a machine three times a week to do the kidney’s work of purifying her blood.

— shari rudavsky, Indianapolis Star, "What it's like to wait for organ transplants: Three Hoosiers talk about life in limbo," 24 May 2018

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.

Origin and Etymology of purify

Middle English purifien, from Anglo-French purifier, from Latin purificare, from Latin purus + -ificare -ify

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 14th century

in the meaning defined at transitive sense

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purify Synonyms

PURIFY Defined for English Language Learners

purify

verb

Definition of purify for English Language Learners

: to remove dirty or harmful substances from (something)
: to free (someone) from guilt or evil thoughts

PURIFY Defined for Kids

purify

verb pu·ri·fy \ ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī \

Definition of purify for Students

purified; purifying

: to make pure : free from impurities

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purify

Definition of purify

purifier

Examples of purify in a Sentence

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Origin and Etymology of purify

purify Synonyms

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PURIFY Defined for English Language Learners

purify

Definition of purify for English Language Learners

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purify

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