Definition of purenext
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Synonym Chooser

How is the word pure distinct from other similar adjectives?

Some common synonyms of pure are chaste, decent, and modest. While all these words mean "free from all taint of what is lewd or salacious," pure differs from chaste in implying innocence and absence of temptation rather than control of one's impulses and actions.

the pure of heart

In what contexts can chaste take the place of pure?

Although the words chaste and pure have much in common, chaste primarily implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or not sanctioned by marriage vows.

they maintained chaste relations

How are the words modest and decent related as synonyms of pure?

Both modest and decent apply especially to deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity.

preferred more modest swimsuits
decent people didn't go to such movies

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of pure The books give very small children pure possession of some of the places their imaginations most like to wander, with a palm tree and a boat for their island, a barn and a pile of hay for their farm, rocks and a bridge for their forest. Casey Cep, New Yorker, 7 July 2026 The collection intersects performance and sartorial by developing technical fabrics in pure wool or stretch wool-nylon blends that have a freedom of movement. Fairchild Studio, Footwear News, 7 July 2026 Porsche's 2025 Taycan takes elements from the popular Porsche 911 and mixes sports car DNA with pure electric power to create driving excitement for motorists on the open road. Charles Singh, USA Today, 6 July 2026 In floriography, the Victorian language of flowers, Walshe notes that pale pink sweet peas represent pure happiness, while Daucus (Queen Anne’s Lace) symbolizes feminine grace, delicacy and sanctuary. Ashlyn Robinette, PEOPLE, 6 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for pure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pure
Adjective
  • Bella Hadid’s Minimalist Leather Flip-Flops A sleek pair of plain black leather flip-flops can take you far.
    Kaitlin Clapinski, InStyle, 8 July 2026
  • Additionally, replace technical jargon with clear, plain language, translating complexity instead of hiding it.
    Andy Molinsky, Forbes.com, 7 July 2026
Adjective
  • And his fit with what the Celtics love to do, which is shoot 3-pointers, is an immaculate one.
    Tony Jones, New York Times, 2 July 2026
  • One thing Princess Diana was never without was an immaculate French manicure.
    Anna Cafolla, Vogue, 1 July 2026
Adjective
  • All defendants are presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in a court of law.
    Greg Wehner, FOXNews.com, 1 July 2026
  • That law predates the much wider United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS), which took effect in 1994, giving ships the right of innocent passage through any country's territorial waters without paying a fee.
    Joanne Stocker, CBS News, 1 July 2026
Adjective
  • The sleeveless gown featured a semi-sheer corset bodice with a curtain of lace foliage that cascaded down past the thigh-high slit, forming an elegant silhouette.
    Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 5 July 2026
  • Nonetheless, some 120,000 Mint Juleps are consumed across two sunny days at Churchill Downs during the Kentucky Derby, proving that some cocktails can become refreshing daytime summer sippers just by sheer force of will, and a little crushed ice.
    Jeremy Repanich, Robb Report, 4 July 2026
Adjective
  • Many who watched that win with unadulterated joy on NBC that Sunday suddenly felt like they may be getting used during the network broadcast of the SOTU on Tuesday.
    Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 6 July 2026
  • All of these solutions are unevenly distributed, and the effects of unadulterated heat are concentrated on the country’s poor.
    Henry Grabar, The Atlantic, 27 June 2026
Adjective
  • Then there was the rather chaste kiss on Evans’s show late last year.
    Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 June 2026
  • Deadhead your chaste tree in late winter to promote flowering in the spring and summer months.
    Steve Bender, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Adjective
  • One of the details described the placement of Guthrie's Apple Watch with a white wrist band that was left on the floor next to her bed.
    Anna Schecter, CBS News, 2 July 2026
  • Paltrow wore a black, strapless gown and buckled slippers, while Martin sported a two-tone brown-and-blue sweater over a white T-shirt, with brown corduroy pants and a stylishly thin belt.
    Anthony Robledo, USA Today, 2 July 2026
Adjective
  • Ramp, the corporate card and expense management company backed by Iconiq and valued at $44 billion, is now Senra’s largest advertiser and, by CEO Glyman’s own description, an unconditional backer.
    Lily Mae Lazarus, Fortune, 5 July 2026
  • At its deepest level, this work is fueled by unconditional love—not sentimental or passive love but love as discipline, courage and commitment.
    Yujia Zhu, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pure. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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