purity

noun

pu·​ri·​ty ˈpyu̇r-ə-tē How to pronounce purity (audio)
Synonyms of puritynext
1
: the quality or state of being pure
2
: saturation sense 4a

Synonyms of purity

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Examples of purity in a Sentence

struggling to live a life of purity while surrounded by wickedness
Recent Examples on the Web
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.
Along with these shifts came purity tests that were easy for well-meaning people to fail. — Charles Finch, The Atlantic, 28 Aug. 2026 Houston could soar within it because Parton imbued it with a musical and sentimental purity that made room for the enormity of her expressiveness. — Ann Powers, NPR, 26 Aug. 2026 Rare earth processing technologies must compete on throughput, operating costs, purity, and reliability. — Aamir Khollam, Interesting Engineering, 26 Aug. 2026 Today, economic interests remain more important than ideological purity for China. — Arthur I. Cyr, Chicago Tribune, 25 Aug. 2026 See All Example Sentences for purity

Word History

Etymology

Middle English purete, from Anglo-French purité, from Late Latin puritat-, puritas, from Latin purus pure

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of purity was in the 13th century

Rhymes for purity

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Browse Nearby Words

puritano
purity
purity rubric
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Cite this Entry

“Purity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purity. Accessed 1 Sep. 2026.

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Kids Definition

purity

noun
pu·​ri·​ty ˈpyu̇r-ət-ē How to pronounce purity (audio)
1
: the quality or state of being pure : freedom from impurities
2
: freedom from guilt or sin

Medical Definition

purity

noun
pu·​ri·​ty ˈpyu̇r-ət-ē How to pronounce purity (audio)
: the quality or state of being pure
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