as in fanatic
a person who has very strong ideas about what is correct or acceptable and who usually opposes changes to traditional methods and practices
a new style of play that offended the sport's purists a language purist who is always looking to correct the speech of others
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Recent Examples of purist
Delicia Delicia's menu probably won't win over many purists of Mexican and Central American food.
—
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
For purists, that will be the biggest downside to the RS5 going PHEV, and a challenge for Audi engineers, who will need to build a car with the driving dynamics of a sports car in a package that will likely weigh over two tons.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2026
The DJs and producers are not purists overall.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
What with its Charli xcx soundtrack and historically inaccurate latex costumes, Emily Brontë purists may opt to swerve a Valentine’s weekend viewing slot.
—Olivia Allen, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 11 Feb. 2026
For purists, that will be the biggest downside to the RS5 going PHEV, and a challenge for Audi engineers, who will need to build a car with the driving dynamics of a sports car in a package that will likely weigh over two tons.
—Erik Shilling, Robb Report, 5 Feb. 2026
The DJs and producers are not purists overall.
—Katie Bain, Billboard, 29 Jan. 2026
What with its Charli xcx soundtrack and historically inaccurate latex costumes, Emily Brontë purists may opt to swerve a Valentine’s weekend viewing slot.
—Olivia Allen, Vogue, 27 Jan. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purist
Noun
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And who better to get Olympics fanatics geared up for the upcoming 2028 Summer Games in Los Angeles than quintessential California dreamer Kate Hudson?—
Gil Kaufman,
Billboard,
23 Feb. 2026
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Jack Levey, the smallest player on the court, responds to the delight of the fanatics.—
Eric Sondheimer,
Los Angeles Times,
22 Feb. 2026
Noun
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Many Christian nationalists believe in erasing the boundaries between church and state, Andrew Whitehead, an associate professor of sociology at Indiana University-Purdue University, Indianapolis, previously told USA TODAY.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
17 Feb. 2026
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Little has been accomplished, and Labour’s woes seem likely to benefit the Reform Party, a new nationalist, populist outfit led by the Brexit instigator Nigel Farage.—
Idrees Kahloon,
The Atlantic,
8 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purist. Accessed 24 Feb. 2026.
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