purist

1 of 2

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

puristic

pyu̇-ˈri-stik 

adjective

puristically

pyu̇-ˈri-sti-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

puristic

2 of 2

adjective

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

puristically

-tə̇k(ə)lē 

-tēk-, 

-li

adverb

Examples of purist in a Sentence

Noun

a purist who only drinks European wines

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Baseball purists might brace their eyes at the 2026 White Sox. — Paul Sullivan, Chicago Tribune, 3 Oct. 2026

Historical revisionism over the decades since has popularized the Raptors nickname, but purists still consider this Air Jordan 7 colorway to be the Playoffs style. — Riley Jones, Footwear News, 30 Sep. 2026

The addition of warm comfort foods like karaage chicken and beef curry udon noodles might make some purists raise an eyebrow, but that’s exactly what makes Somenya so appealing. — Todd Plummer, Condé Nast Traveler, 25 Sep. 2026

Around the halfway point of Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard, Petya Trofimov — eternal grad student, moral purist, and former tutor to the once wealthy family whose diminution sits at the heart of the play — makes a speech. — Sara Holdren, Vulture, 18 Sep. 2026

Word History

Etymology

and Adjective

First Known Use

Noun

1699, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for purist

• jurist
• purest
• surest
• tourist