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
Securing this level of acoustic engineering for 42% off is a massive win for purists and casual listeners alike.
—
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
This turn toward a high-end consumer market — which reflects a broader trend among many retailers to cater to the affluent — hasn’t been without its critics, especially from music purists who view the festival as overly commercial.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
This subtle dose of animal print might convince even the solid-manicure purists to embrace their wild side.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
This created a direct clash with golf purists — as parodied in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 — resulting in the PGA suspending golfers participating in LIV.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
This turn toward a high-end consumer market — which reflects a broader trend among many retailers to cater to the affluent — hasn’t been without its critics, especially from music purists who view the festival as overly commercial.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
This subtle dose of animal print might convince even the solid-manicure purists to embrace their wild side.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
This created a direct clash with golf purists — as parodied in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 — resulting in the PGA suspending golfers participating in LIV.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purist
Noun
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Rebellion was also apparent in the hairstyles exhibited, most notably by singer Miley Cyrus, a fashion fanatic, whose short, spiked look paired perfectly with her risque fishnet Marc Jacobs gown.—
Luis Giraldo,
CBS News,
4 May 2026
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In regards to the Anne Hathaway, Meryl Streep, Emily Blunt, and Stanley Tucci reteam exceeding $80M+, the pic really needs the date crowd, Prada fanatics, and ladies night to make a trail toward multiplexes.—
Anthony D'Alessandro,
Deadline,
1 May 2026
Noun
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Irish nationalists had rebelled against British rule for hundreds of years, but revolution started to become more palatable to the larger public during World War I, according to Sean Farrell, a history professor at Northern Illinois University and 19th century Irish historian.—
Tess Kenny,
Chicago Tribune,
28 Apr. 2026
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Many Christian nationalists believe in erasing the boundaries between church and state, Andrew Whitehead, a professor of sociology at Indiana University Indianapolis, previously told USA TODAY.—
BrieAnna J. Frank,
USA Today,
25 Apr. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purist. Accessed 9 May. 2026.
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