purify

verb pu·ri·fy \ ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī \

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

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purifier

play \-ˌfī(-ə)r\ noun

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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 of purify from the Web

The third, Epanova, is purified in a different way, said to be more easily absorbed by the body.

— david becker, Philly.com, "A cardiologist's top 10 things to know about fish oil supplements," 16 Aug. 2017
Immersion in the river is thought to purify them of their sins and facilitate liberation from an eternal cycle of life and death (in other words, reincarnation).

— david jefferys, CNT, "The Healing Power of India’s Ganges River," 10 Aug. 2017
A machine that purifies water probably shouldn’t double as a fire hazard.

— david j. neal, miamiherald, "In addition to clean water, recalled filtration unit can dispense hot air or fire.," 31 July 2017
These are all overtures to an Edenic past, promising an order that preserves tradition by purifying society of contagion.

— amar diwakar, New Republic, "How “Cow Vigilantes” Launched India’s Lynching Epidemic," 26 July 2017
By contrast, dipsticks that detect cholera using antibodies cost a hundred times as much, because those antibodies need to be mass-produced and purified.

— ed yong, The Atlantic, "Turning Baker’s Yeast Into a Disease Sensor," 18 July 2017
In 1917, an explosion at the Brunner Mond factory, which the was being used to purify TNT during WWI, killed 73 people, injured more than 400, and destroyed 900 homes.

— paul talling, CNN, "Silvertown: The derelict wasteland right under London's nose," 10 July 2017
A cool bath with purifying salts and nourishing oils in the light of the bright, waning moon would also be particularly renewing right now.

— jodie layne, Allure, "What This Week's Horoscope Means for You," 9 July 2017
Her predecessor, François Bayrou, who was leading Macron’s crusade to purify politics, was forced to quit over corruption allegations.

— Washington Post, "World Digest: June 21, 2017," 21 June 2017

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.