purist
noun
pur·ist
ˈpyu̇r-ist 
: 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
Examples of purist in a Sentence
a purist who only drinks European wines
Recent Examples on the Web
The purists were busy splitting hella hairs over the distinction between rap and real hip-hop.
—
Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Yet even when considering all the superyacht trappings, purists like Coles remain unconvinced.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
But Anderson knows that, amid clashing political extremes, racial and ideological purists can make surprising, and treacherous, bedfellows.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
There’s certainly a case where purists may not like some, or all, of these changes.
—Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purist
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Rodney Carmichael, NPR, 1 Oct. 2025
Yet even when considering all the superyacht trappings, purists like Coles remain unconvinced.
—Chrissie McClatchie, Robb Report, 27 Sep. 2025
But Anderson knows that, amid clashing political extremes, racial and ideological purists can make surprising, and treacherous, bedfellows.
—Justin Chang, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
There’s certainly a case where purists may not like some, or all, of these changes.
—Hayes Madsen, Rolling Stone, 24 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for purist
Cite this Entry
“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purist. Accessed 8 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share