Definition of purist
: a person who adheres strictly and often excessively to a tradition; especially : one preoccupied with the purity of a language and its protection from the use of foreign or altered forms
From the M-W Editors
Examples of purist in a Sentence
a purist who only drinks European wines
Recent Examples of purist from the Web
-
From a purist’s perspective – and even from a human-nature perspective – this is a partnership to celebrate.
-
Ever the barbecue purist, Kelly didn’t go for that.
-
WIRED: Grilling over gas is objectively, scientifically better than grilling over charcoal Purists say the only way to grill is with charcoal.
-
Grilling purists say nothing can ever beat the flavor from charcoal.
-
Some Cannes purists pointed out that the directors who spoke in support of Netflix were the ones working with Netflix.
-
The Mets’ game against the San Diego Padres on Thursday was primed to become an affront to the eyes of baseball purists.
-
This version sounds palatable, and sufficiently blue in color to please the purists, but still definitely not kid-appropriate.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'purist'. Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
First Known Use of purist
1699
PURIST Defined for English Language Learners
purist
playDefinition of purist for English Language Learners
-
: a person who has very strong ideas about what is correct or acceptable and who usually opposes changes to traditional methods and practices
Seen and Heard
What made you want to look up purist? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).
Writing? Check your grammar now!