untainted

adjective un·taint·ed \ ˌən-ˈtān-təd \

|Updated on: 23 Jun 2018

Definition of untainted

: not contaminated, spoiled, or affected slightly with something bad : not tainted

untainted evidence

an untainted reputation

See untainted defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of untainted from the Web

There’s a desire for the kind of untainted connection that can redeem all of that.

— joe fassler, The Atlantic, "What J.D. Salinger Understood About Missed Connections," 19 June 2018
But there are few qualms about Bradford’s performance when healthy, as a quarterback with a big arm, untainted confidence and the innate ability to avoid costly interceptions.

— dan bickley, azcentral, "Bickley: Sam Bradford will be better than you think – if he stays upright," 15 Mar. 2018
Court documents show that one bottle had a greenish circle and was a different color than an untainted bottle.

— Fox News, "Woman, 19, pleads guilty in attempt to poison baby niece," 12 Mar. 2018
To get the job done quickly, a nation needs an untainted hero to emerge from somewhere to offer the world a completely different perspective.

— richard evans, Newsweek, "How Novak Djokovic Became Serbia's Brand Ambassador," 17 July 2014
What happened to Satchmo's magnificent, untainted rendition?

— the masked observer, AL.com, "The Masked Observer finds for dynamic Polka Dots, there's never 2 Much Fun," 4 Feb. 2018
In a war’s early stages, ideas and ideals seem more pure, untainted by political calculation or the atrocities of one’s own side.

— shadi hamid, The Atlantic, "American War," 15 Dec. 2017
Nor is there one untainted with gut-sure self-loathing, a gift from our God, our history, and every southern mother who raised us to respect our puny place in this damned, transitory world.

— allison glock, Esquire, "Clay Aiken Doesn't Sing Anymore," 1 Nov. 2014
Roger Maris with 61 and Babe Ruth with 60 are the only untainted men to have reached that plateau.

— greg cote, miamiherald, "New Marlins owners: Wanna be anti-Loria? Start with a commitment to keeping Stanton," 19 Aug. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'untainted.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

First Known Use of untainted

1590

in the meaning defined above

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