purity

[pyoor-i-tee]

noun

1. the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc..

   the purity of drinking water.

2. freedom from any admixture or modifying addition.

3. ceremonial or ritual cleanness.

4. freedom from guilt or evil; innocence.

5. physical chastity; virginity.

6. freedom from foreign or inappropriate elements; careful correctness.

   purity of expression.

7. Optics.,  the chroma, saturation, or degree of freedom from white of a given color.

8. cleanness or spotlessness, as of garments.

purity

/ ˈpjʊərɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being pure

2. physics a measure of the amount of a single-frequency colour in a mixture of spectral and achromatic colours

Other Word Forms

• hyperpurity noun
• superpurity noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of purity¹

1175–1225; < Late Latin pūritās ( pure, -ity ); replacing Middle English pur ( e ) te < Anglo-French < Late Latin, as above

Example Sentences

“That won’t bode well for our business, because there’s a certain human purity to having an actual model do a campaign.”

From Los Angeles Times

Big money has come to dominate these races, from politically minded billionaires interested in influencing policy — and promoting ideological purity — in the second-largest state in the nation.

From Salon

"We are 100% convinced of the purity of the water. And its mineral make-up is constant."

From BBC

In any far-right purity contest, Nick Fuentes will easily win against people who are still merely using dog whistles.

From Salon

And getting certification is a rigorous, costly process, as seeds need to be tested in a laboratory for their purity and things like how well they germinate.

From BBC

Related Words

• cleanliness