purify

verb

pu·​ri·​fy ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī 

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

ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun

Synonyms of purify

• purge

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

BioFiltro, a company founded in Chile, puts red wigglers in a bed of chips to purify wastewater from dairy stalls. — Los Angeles Times, 21 Oct. 2026

This allows technicians to irradiate target materials, separate the isotopes, purify the final product, and package it for transport under one roof. — Aman Tripathi, Interesting Engineering, 16 Oct. 2026

Below, take a peek at the best still-available Dyson Prime Day deals, ranging from cordless stick vacuums to purifying tower fans. — Cierra Cowan, PC Magazine, 8 Oct. 2026

Instead of sugar or salt, this scalp scrub counts on apricot seed to exfoliate and menthol to purify. — Brigitt Earley, Glamour, 14 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

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

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at transitive sense

Rhymes for purify

• abscissae
• adonai
• alibi
• alkali
• alumni
• amoebae
• amplify
• annuli
• beautify
• brachii
• butterfly
• calculi

Kids Definition

purify

verb

pu·​ri·​fy ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī 

purified; purifying

: to make or become pure

purification

ˌpyu̇r-ə-fə-ˈkā-shən

noun

purifier

ˈpyu̇r-ə-ˌfī(-ə)r 

noun