pristine

[ pris-teen, pri-steen; especially British pris-tahyn ]

adjective

1. having its original purity; uncorrupted or unsullied.

   Synonyms: unpolluted, untouched

2. of or relating to the earliest period or state; primitive.

pristine

/ ˈprɪstaɪn; -tiːn /

adjective

1. of or involving the earliest period, state, etc; original
2. pure; uncorrupted
3. fresh, clean, and unspoiled

   his pristine new car

Usage

The use of pristine to mean fresh, clean, and unspoiled is considered by some people to be incorrect

Word History and Origins

Origin of pristine¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin pristinus “early”; akin to primus prime

Word History and Origins

Origin of pristine¹

C15: from Latin pristinus primitive; related to prīmus first, prime

Example Sentences

To weed out possible contamination, Candela and his colleagues sorted out the old, obviously degraded ancient DNA from the more pristine modern sequences.

From Ars Technica

The PDK monomers can then be used to make pristine new plastic, again and again.

From Science News

Their ball movement was pristine, and perhaps the most impressive part of Michigan’s performance was that star freshman center Hunter Dickinson hardly factored into his team’s success.

From Washington Post

It’s packed with pristine lakes, rivers, and views of the southern Rocky Mountains.

From Outside Online

Sestito speculated that perhaps pockets of pristine gas managed to dodge all the metals expelled from supernovas for eons, then collapsed to form stars that looked deceptively old.

From Quanta Magazine

The grand prize is a pristine white Fiat Panda 4X4 – with full options.

From The Daily Beast

Today the Stanley is in pristine shape after another series of renovations were completed in 2013.

From The Daily Beast

There are still places in the sea as pristine as I knew as a child.

From The Daily Beast

There are always examples of degradation, but there are very few examples of ecosystems left that are that pristine.

From The Daily Beast

Beauty is often pristine, Harding says, while the word “gorgeous” contains more the idea of extremes and can include decay.

From The Daily Beast

We have native hearts and virtues, just as other nations; which in their pristine purity are noble, potent, and worthy of example.

From Project Gutenberg

Medicine and religion have been closely associated from the most pristine time.

From Project Gutenberg

Then agriculture will be "restored to right uses" and held in its pristine honor; and the earth will yield its fruits abundantly.

From Project Gutenberg

It was of course the shadow of the Midas statue, which the boys had never permitted to be restored to its pristine state.

From Project Gutenberg

But it is far from being the case that all tribes with this pristine organisation possess identical ceremonies and ideas.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• immaculate
• intact
• natural
• snowy
• spotless
• sterile
• untouched