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Synonyms

purism

American  
[pyoor-iz-uhm] / ˈpyʊər ɪz əm /

noun

  1. strict observance of or insistence on purity in language, style, etc.

  2. an instance of this.

  3. Fine Arts. Often Purism a style of art developed in France in the early 20th century, characterized by the use of simple geometric forms and images evocative of objects produced by machine.


purism British  
/ ˈpjʊəˌrɪzəm /

noun

  1. insistence on traditional canons of correctness of form or purity of style or content, esp in language, art, or music

"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

Other Word Forms

Etymology

Origin of purism

First recorded in 1795–1805; pure + -ism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

Stanford’s self-proclaimed ecological purism doesn’t mean he believes we should do away with nonnative species altogether, though.

From Los Angeles Times • May 20, 2024

Meanwhile, it says domestic purism should be promoted to lessen consumer demand for international flights.

From BBC • Oct. 20, 2021

He picked pointless fights with his colleagues, lecturing them about his superior understanding of the law while flaunting his putative purism.

From Slate • Jul. 15, 2020

Nowadays, Arellano balances his appreciation for Kennedy with concerns about her purism.

From Washington Post • Jun. 17, 2020

As a general rule, I think, educated Americans are more apt to err on the side of purism than of laxity.

From America To-day, Observations and Reflections by Archer, William

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