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pure

adjective
\ ˈpyu̇r How to pronounce pure (audio) \
purer; purest

Definition of pure

1a(1) : unmixed with any other matter pure gold
(2) : free from dust, dirt, or taint pure spring water
(3) : spotless, stainless
b : free from harshness or roughness and being in tune —used of a musical tone
c of a vowel : characterized by no appreciable alteration of articulation during utterance
2a : being thus and no other : sheer, unmitigated pure folly
b(1) : abstract, theoretical pure research
(2) : a priori pure mechanics
c : not directed toward exposition of reality or solution of practical problems pure literature
d : being nonobjective and to be appraised on formal and technical qualities only pure form
3a(1) : free from what vitiates, weakens, or pollutes
(2) : containing nothing that does not properly belong
b : free from moral fault or guilt
c : marked by chastity : continent
d(1) : of pure blood and unmixed ancestry
(2) : homozygous in and breeding true for one or more characters
e : ritually clean
4 : having exactly the talents or skills needed for a particular role a pure shooter in basketball
Other Words from pure Synonyms & Antonyms Choose the Right Synonym More Example Sentences Learn More about pure

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Other Words from pure

pureness noun

Choose the Right Synonym for pure

chaste, pure, modest, decent mean free from all taint of what is lewd or salacious. chaste primarily implies a refraining from acts or even thoughts or desires that are not virginal or not sanctioned by marriage vows. they maintained chaste relations pure differs from chaste in implying innocence and absence of temptation rather than control of one's impulses and actions. the pure of heart modest and decent apply especially to deportment and dress as outward signs of inward chastity or purity. preferred more modest swimsuits decent people didn't go to such movies

Examples of pure in a Sentence

The company bottles only the purest water. the pure notes of the flute

Recent Examples on the Web

 Even in its purest form, golden-brown crisp bread — smeared with nothing more than some butter and sprinkled with salt — is a luxurious, timeless treat. — Alison Roman, New York Times, "We Should Be Talking About Dinner Toast," 27 Aug. 2019 Designed by Go Fujita of the architecture studio Gosize as his personal residence and office, Residence F is all about showcasing the material in its purest form. — Liz Stinson, Curbed, "No-frills Japanese house is an ode to concrete," 20 Aug. 2019 Once a seed is created, the company puts it in a growth reactor, where it’s fed a very pure form of natural gas that contains only carbon atoms. — Emily Price, Fortune, "Curious What Jony Ive Might Design After Apple? This Ring Might Be a Clue," 17 Aug. 2019 Reconciliation, and the wrestling it requires, is the purest form of faith. — Nicole Blackwood, chicagotribune.com, "Church in a gay bar: Queer Chicagoans find ways to merge religion and identity," 14 Aug. 2019 Teetering on the edge of abstraction is an evocative William Christenberry encaustic that can be read as pure form or as a distilled landscape. — Mark Jenkins, Washington Post, "In the galleries: Artechouse’s ‘Infinite Space’ has waves of natural influences," 9 Aug. 2019 Because electric arc furnaces melt down scrap metal, it must be supplemented with a more pure form of found in hot-briquetted iron. — Jimmy Lovrien, Twin Cities, "In northeast Minnesota, a new pellet points toward steel industry’s future," 7 Aug. 2019 This technique, known as a generative adversarial networks (GAN), is the purest form of deepfake, conjuring up images that are entirely unique, not just using machine learning to mash existing photos together. — The Economist, "What is a deepfake?," 7 Aug. 2019 Independent wrestling once definitively stood alone as the purest art form of professional wrestling. — Justin Barrasso, SI.com, "Beyond Wrestling Redefining the Role of Independent Circuit," 28 July 2019

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'pure.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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First Known Use of pure

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a(1)

History and Etymology for pure

Middle English pur, from Anglo-French, from Latin purus; akin to Old High German fowen to sift, Sanskrit punāti he cleanses, Middle Irish úr fresh, new

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More Definitions for pure

pure

adjective
How to pronounce pure (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of pure

: not mixed with anything else
: clean and not harmful in any way
: having a smooth and clear sound that is not mixed with any other sounds

See the full definition for pure in the English Language Learners Dictionary

pure

adjective
\ ˈpyu̇r How to pronounce pure (audio) \

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