purists

plural of purist
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

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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 Some soccer purists grumbled about the World Cup expanding this year from 32 to 48 teams. Michael Cunningham, AJC.com, 29 June 2026 Some purists may also argue that, in a competition like this, which comes around so rarely, there is a moral responsibility for teams to go full strength every time. Jack Pitt-Brooke, New York Times, 27 June 2026 The purists were always going to take issue with a Prancing Horse that had an electric powertrain instead of snarling internal combustion engine, but its unorthodox design, courtesy of Jony Ivy’s LoveFrom studio, has received just as much criticism. Bryan Hood, Robb Report, 26 June 2026 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 On paper, free-market purists surely find this preferable. Michael Santoli, CNBC, 23 June 2026 Those who don’t shy away from more adventurous colors can indulge in vibrant options like aquamarine and amber, though purists have their pick as well with options like crystal and glossy black. Audrey Lee, Architectural Digest, 18 June 2026 For martini purists, the Classic Martini Service is the cleaner test. Noel Burgess, Forbes.com, 18 June 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purists
Noun
  • Until July 15, Argentina fans looking for community or local fanatics can view and purchase the World Cup depicted through the eyes of an artist, fútbol lover and Argentinian woman in Café Corazón at 110 Southwest Blvd.
    Sophie Lindberg, Kansas City Star, 27 June 2026
  • The gridded pattern is a natural choice for any bullet journal fanatics, and it’s made up of 100% wool hand-tufted in India.
    Julia Harrison, Architectural Digest, 26 June 2026
Noun
  • The Chamber’s work to prevent right-wing nationalists from winning primaries feels like the last gasp of the country club GOP, before the MAGA movement took over.
    David Weigel, semafor.com, 1 July 2026
  • The group at the center of the feud, the UPA, was founded by nationalists loyal to Ukrainian nationalist leader Stepan Bandera.
    Brady Knox, The Washington Examiner, 20 June 2026

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Cite this Entry

“Purists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purists. Accessed 2 Jul. 2026.

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