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 In place of the squardrop-style slope at the front of the roofline, this one is a pure, uninterrupted box, ensuring that the full amount of headroom is available from the back door to the front wall. New Atlas, 17 Sep. 2026 The company said its ability to accept a wider range of blends could reduce the expense of separating textile waste into extremely pure feedstock streams. Alexandra Harrell, Footwear News, 17 Sep. 2026 All three judges are basically drooling over how much pure quickstep content is in this routine despite some framework issues and the mistake at the end. Maggie Fremont, Vulture, 16 Sep. 2026 Between the former’s inconsistency and the latter’s struggles to stay healthy, Levi might be the Oilers’ definitive starter out of nothing more than pure necessity. Janson Duench, New York Times, 15 Sep. 2026 See All Example Sentences for pure
Recent Examples of Synonyms for pure
Adjective
  • In plain terms, Connecticut had to build the gas plants and therefore absorbed the emissions and the construction costs, and shipped most of the electricity to other states.
    Joe McGee, Hartford Courant, 20 Sep. 2026
  • In plain English, data centers are enormous buildings full of computers running around the clock.
    Kam Shenai, The Orlando Sentinel, 18 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • His homemaker mother Leonor (a superb Maude Sandham) and his 17-year-old sister Ilse (Karoline Watson) complete the immaculate family portrait, but there’s unrest there too.
    Guy Lodge, Variety, 19 Sep. 2026
  • Please enjoy every pitch of Payton Tolle's immaculate inning.
    Jen McCaffrey, New York Times, 14 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The seemingly sweet and innocent woman from season one has become a brutally violent villain out for revenge.
    David Hookstead OutKick, FOXNews.com, 22 Sep. 2026
  • When the father takes the kids down to Gowanus, there’s an innocent joy in him.
    Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Recommended by Our Editors The sheer aura of this sandbox, and your agile tools for exploring it, almost make the rest of Control Resonant feel perfunctory by comparison.
    Jordan Minor, PC Magazine, 18 Sep. 2026
  • The skirt also featured a ribbon waist tie and a sheer, tulle underlayer visible beneath the thigh-high slit.
    Chanel Vargas, InStyle, 18 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • Few social situations encourage or even allow unadulterated loopiness.
    Lily Meyer, The Atlantic, 16 Sep. 2026
  • Yes, violence and mistreatment of women should be called out and women and girls should be protected, but these decisions and statements are just pure, unadulterated corporate virtue signaling.
    Jon Root OutKick, FOXNews.com, 28 Aug. 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
  • The continued existence of the northern white rhino, on the other hand, will be measured not in centuries, not in decades, but in years.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Finish the look by styling the pants with an airy white blouse and cherry red flats.
    Averi Baudler, PEOPLE, 21 Sep. 2026
Adjective
  • The unconditional quality of my love for him will not last forever, just as my brother’s did not.
    Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 17 Sep. 2026
  • As the duo bond over the absurd logistics of their lethal hobby and evade detection, the series uses its heightened premise to deliver a hilarious, deeply relatable exploration of female friendship and unconditional loyalty.
    Todd Spangler, Variety, 17 Sep. 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Pure.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/pure. Accessed 24 Sep. 2026.

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