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- Dictionarypure/pjʊə/
adjective
- 1. not mixed or adulterated with any other substance or material: "cars can run on pure alcohol" Similar unmixedunalloyedunadulteratedunblendeduncontaminatedsterlingsolidrefinedone hundred per cent100%clarifiedclearfiltereddistilledprocessedneatstraightundilutedflawlessperfectgenuineauthenticrealactualbona fideveritabletrueinformal:pukkaOpposite impureadulterated
- ▪ without any extraneous and unnecessary elements: "the romantic notion of pure art devoid of social responsibility" Similar sheeruttersimpleabsolutedownrightout-and-outrankcompletethoroughtotalperfectconsummateunmitigatedunqualifiedpalpablepatentarchaic:arrant
- ▪ free of any contamination: "the pure, clear waters of Scotland" Similar cleanclearfreshcrisprefreshingsparklingunpolluteduntaintedunadulterateduncontaminatedwholesomenaturalhealthyhealth-givinghealthfulgood for yousalubrioussanitaryuninfecteddisinfectedgerm-freesterilesterilizedpasteurizedasepticOpposite impuredirtypolluted
- ▪ (of an animal or plant) of unmixed origin or descent; pedigree: "the pure Charolais is white or light wheat in the coat"
- 2. (of a sound) perfectly in tune and with a clear tone: "these small cymbals produce a quiet but high pitched and very pure note"
- 3. wholesome and untainted by immorality, especially that of a sexual nature: "our fondness for each other is pure and innocent" Similar virtuousmoralethicalgoodrighteousangelicsaintlypioushonourablereputablewholesomecleanhonestuprightupstandingexemplaryabove reproachirreproachableinnocentchastepure as the driven snowvirginalmaidenlydecentworthynobleblamelessguiltlesssinlessstainlessspotlessunsulliedunblemishedunspoiledunaffecteduncorruptedundefiledanti-corruptioninformal:squeaky cleanimmaculateimpeccableOpposite immoral
- 4. (of a subject of study) dealing with abstract concepts and not practical application: "a theoretical discipline such as pure physics" Similar theoreticalabstractconceptualacademichypotheticalphilosophicalspeculativeconjecturalnon-practicalnon-technicalinformal:blue-skyOpposite appliedpractical
- 5. involving or containing nothing else but; sheer (used for emphasis): "a shout of pure anger" Similar sheeruttersimpleabsolutedownrightout-and-outrankcompletethoroughtotalperfectconsummateunmitigatedunqualifiedpalpablepatentarchaic:arrant
- 6. (of a vowel) not joined with another to form a diphthong.
Word Origin Middle English: from Old French pur ‘pure’, from Latin purus.
Derivatives
- 1. pureness noun
Scrabble Points: 6
P
3U
1R
1E
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