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
Despite her pedigree, Büchi is anything but a purist.
—
Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
As much as purists may loathe it, NCAA Tournament expansion is, as Jamie Dixon said, inevitable.
—Mac Engel
march 10, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
Look away, Nordic sauna purists.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Plus, the Wolverines genuinely like each other and play an unselfish brand of basketball that purists can appreciate.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Walden Green, Pitchfork, 13 Mar. 2026
As much as purists may loathe it, NCAA Tournament expansion is, as Jamie Dixon said, inevitable.
—Mac Engel
march 10, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 10 Mar. 2026
Look away, Nordic sauna purists.
—Maureen O'Hare, CNN Money, 7 Mar. 2026
Plus, the Wolverines genuinely like each other and play an unselfish brand of basketball that purists can appreciate.
—Austin Meek, New York Times, 6 Mar. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purist
Noun
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Avid collectors, watchers of runways, and vintage fanatics, listen up.—
Rosie Jarman,
Vogue,
16 Mar. 2026
-
In the seat next to mine was a buddy who’s a Paul Thomas Anderson fanatic.—
Nate Jones,
Vulture,
16 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Prosecutors, police and FBI officials say Balat and Kayumi, who lived in Philadelphia’s suburbs, drove to New York City on Saturday and joined a throng of counter protesters at a small, anti-Muslim rally organized by the far-right Christian nationalist Jake Lang.—
ABC News,
ABC News,
10 Mar. 2026
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From late Qing reformers inspired by Athenian citizenship to nationalists who draw on Plato to bolster China’s political ideology, Bartsch shows how supple ancient texts are in the hands of interpreters.—
Chang Che,
New Yorker,
8 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purist. Accessed 21 Mar. 2026.
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