purist

noun

Definition of puristnext
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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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 purist There was a viewpoint among purists that combinatorics was sort of a bag of tricks. — Quanta Magazine, 25 June 2026 Yes, purists love pitching duels. — Ian Miller Outkick, FOXNews.com, 24 June 2026 For those who’d rather see the Air Force 1 Low through more of a purist’s lens, the shoe is coming back this year in an ’01 build that’s more true to the original proportions than the ’07 build that’s been the standard. — Ian Servantes, Footwear News, 23 June 2026 On paper, free-market purists surely find this preferable. — Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 June 2026 See All Example Sentences for purist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purist
  1. fanatic
  2. nationalist
Noun
  • Because movies like both Rise and this new one are what make discerning horror fanatics cynical and ruin a franchise’s good name.
    — David Fear, Rolling Stone, 10 July 2026
  • As a true suncare fanatic, of course, that’s not all my mom packed for her tropical vacation.
    — Maggie Horton, PEOPLE, 9 July 2026
Definition of fanatic
Noun
  • America, the world’s oldest, continuous, modern democracy, will soon celebrate its 250th birthday—mired in conflict and piloted by a belligerent and mercurial nationalist.
    — Dominic Erdozain, Time, 3 July 2026
  • In more recent years, the culture wars waged by India’s ruling Hindu nationalists have complicated the image of Tipu and his father, who some now have recast as bloodthirsty Muslim warlords rather than icons of national resistance.
    — Ishaan Tharoor, New Yorker, 2 July 2026
Definition of nationalist

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purifying
purist
purists
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Cite this Entry

“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purist. Accessed 18 Jul. 2026.

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