as in fanatics
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
Related Words
Relevance
Dissimilar Words
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 purists
This pitching matchup will have the purists drooling.
—
Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Some purists say the art form kicked the bucket when record labels took control in the 1980s and turned a South Bronx creation into big business.
—John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 9 June 2026
Old-World purists, avert your eyes.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 7 June 2026
Sunday’s game was not for baseball purists.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
Reports from the Associated Press, though, suggest every effort is being made to ensure the timings remain the same – a relief for many purists.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
The Odyssey trailer that’s upsetting some purists?
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 10 May 2026
Some include fruit that purists might not approve of, but that should be tried.
—Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 30 Apr. 2026
That song’s twangful snarl — wonderfully sung by Clark, a star recording artist in her own right — is a reminder that these insurgents are also preservationists, capable of delivering old-fashioned pleasures to please the purists.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Darren Cooper, Forbes.com, 11 June 2026
Some purists say the art form kicked the bucket when record labels took control in the 1980s and turned a South Bronx creation into big business.
—John Kennedy, VIBE.com, 9 June 2026
Old-World purists, avert your eyes.
—Mike Desimone, Robb Report, 7 June 2026
Sunday’s game was not for baseball purists.
—Patrick Saunders, Denver Post, 1 June 2026
Reports from the Associated Press, though, suggest every effort is being made to ensure the timings remain the same – a relief for many purists.
—Ben Church, CNN Money, 15 May 2026
The Odyssey trailer that’s upsetting some purists?
—Rima Parikh, Vulture, 10 May 2026
Some include fruit that purists might not approve of, but that should be tried.
—Victoria Spencer, Martha Stewart, 30 Apr. 2026
That song’s twangful snarl — wonderfully sung by Clark, a star recording artist in her own right — is a reminder that these insurgents are also preservationists, capable of delivering old-fashioned pleasures to please the purists.
—New York Times, 28 Apr. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purists
Noun
-
In the winter, Aspen’s restaurants and bars (in town, in Snowmass, or even on the mountain) are packed with both snow enthusiasts and Aspen fanatics who never trade in their Moon Boots for ski boots.—
Chadner Navarro,
Condé Nast Traveler,
11 June 2026
-
Luckily for Southern Mountain Dew fanatics, there are Casey’s locations across the South.—
Melissa Locker,
Southern Living,
11 June 2026
Noun
-
Patrick said Democrats accuse Republicans of being Christian nationalists.—
Eleanor Dearman,
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
13 June 2026
-
While Washington was private about his Anglican beliefs and a supporter of religious freedom for all faiths, Christian nationalists have been reviving the image, and with it, the claim that the US is an inherently Christian nation at its origin.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
15 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purists. Accessed 14 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
