purebred

American  

[pyoor-bred, pyoor-bred] / ˈpyʊərˈbrɛd, ˈpyʊərˌbrɛd /

adjective

1. of or relating to an animal, all of whose ancestors derive over many generations from a recognized breed.

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noun

1. a purebred animal, especially one of registered pedigree.

purebred British  

adjective

1. denoting a pure strain obtained through many generations of controlled breeding for desirable traits

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noun

1. a purebred animal Compare grade crossbred

Etymology

Origin of purebred

First recorded in 1865–70; pure + bred

Explanation

A purebred animal is one that has two parents from the same breed. if your puppy's mother and father were both standard poodles, that means she's purebred. For domestic animals that are bred to have certain characteristics (or to look or behave a specific way), the term purebred describes the offspring of the exact same breed. A Maine coon cat with official papers proving its parentage is a purebred; another cat may look similar but have genetic material from a variety of cat breeds mixed in. Purebred is from the Latin purus, "unmixed," and breed, from a root meaning "bring to birth."

Example Sentences

They compared popular designer doodle breeds - cockapoos, labradoodles and cavapoos - to their purebred parent breeds across multiple behaviour categories.

From BBC • Mar. 18, 2026

This show draws national attention to purebred dogs and their competition, as the Puppy Bowl spotlights rescue and adoption.

From Salon • Feb. 8, 2026

For 31 years Labradors topped the American Kennel Club’s purebred rankings, which are based on more than one million annual registrations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 28, 2025

The ex added that she forged paperwork to claim puppies were purebred and registered with the American Kennel Club, allowing her to hike up the price, the affidavit said.

From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 12, 2024

“By the way,” said Cha-Cha, “did you know that I’m a purebred chow chow?”

From "Dog Squad" by Chris Grabenstein