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
pu·ris·tic
pyu̇ˈristik
pyəˈr-,
pyüˈr-
variants
or less commonly puristical
-tə̇kəl,
-tēk-
: of, relating to, or characteristic of purists or purism
a puristic outlook
: marked by purism
a puristic style
Examples of purist in a Sentence
Noun
a purist who only drinks European wines
Recent Examples on the Web
Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 June 2026
This pitching matchup will have the purists drooling.
—Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Some purists say the art form kicked the bucket when record labels took control in the 1980s and turned a South Bronx creation into big business.
—John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 9 June 2026
Old-World purists, avert your eyes.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 7 June 2026
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.
Noun
Alas, Verbinski is no purist, and doesn’t see the issue of labelling AI usage as purely black and white.
—Rafa Sales Ross, Variety, 13 June 2026
This pitching matchup will have the purists drooling.
—Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Some purists say the art form kicked the bucket when record labels took control in the 1980s and turned a South Bronx creation into big business.
—John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 9 June 2026
Old-World purists, avert your eyes.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 7 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Cite this Entry
“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purist. Accessed 18 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
