impurity

[im-pyoor-i-tee]

See more synonyms for impurity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural im·pu·ri·ties for 2.

the quality or state of being impure.
Often impurities. something that is or makes impure: After the flood the authorities warned against impurities in the drinking water.

Origin of impurity

1400–50; late Middle English impurite < Latin impūritās. See impure, -ity

Synonyms

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1. contamination, pollution, taint.

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2018

Examples from the Web for impurities

Contemporary Examples

Water has to be pushed through a semipermeable membrane that blocks the salt and other impurities from going through.
Sun+Water= High Tech Caribbean Luxury At The Cusinart Resort
The Daily Beast
June 11, 2014
Sometimes the heroin can be cut with impurities that make people sick.
Legal, Regulated Heroin Could Have Saved Philip Seymour Hoffman
Valerie Vande Panne
February 18, 2014

Historical Examples

All the evils and impurities and necessities of men come from the body.
Phaedo
Plato
(b) Impurities may have used up some of the acid which cannot be recovered by charging.
The Automobile Storage Battery
O. A. Witte
(c) Impurities in the electrolyte will also give it a milky appearance.
The Automobile Storage Battery
O. A. Witte
They are not acted upon by the electrolyte, or any of the impurities which may be found in the jar.
The Automobile Storage Battery
O. A. Witte
Impurities of any nature should be removed as quickly as possible.
The Automobile Storage Battery
O. A. Witte

British Dictionary definitions for impurities

impurity

noun plural -ties

the quality of being impure
an impure thing, constituent, or elementimpurities in the water
electronics a small quantity of an element added to a pure semiconductor crystal to control its electrical conductivitySee also acceptor (def. 2), donor (def. 5)

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Word Origin and History for impurities

impurity

n.

mid-15c., "thing which makes or is impure;" c.1500, "fact or quality of being impure," from Middle French impurité, from impur (see impure). Related: Impurities.

impurity

Origin of .css-1fxfie5{font-size:22px;}@media (max-width:768px){.css-1fxfie5{font-size:18px;margin:0 10px 10px 0;word-break:break-all;word-wrap:break-word;-webkit-hyphens:auto;-moz-hyphens:auto;-ms-hyphens:auto;hyphens:auto;line-height:22px;}}impurity

Synonyms

Related Words

Examples from the Web for impurities

Contemporary Examples

Water has to be pushed through a semipermeable membrane that blocks the salt and other impurities from going through.

Sometimes the heroin can be cut with impurities that make people sick.

Historical Examples

All the evils and impurities and necessities of men come from the body.

(b) Impurities may have used up some of the acid which cannot be recovered by charging.

(c) Impurities in the electrolyte will also give it a milky appearance.

They are not acted upon by the electrolyte, or any of the impurities which may be found in the jar.

Impurities of any nature should be removed as quickly as possible.

impurity

Word Origin and History for impurities

impurity

n.

Origin of impurity