purity

[ pyoor-i-tee ]

noun

1. the condition or quality of being pure; freedom from anything that debases, contaminates, pollutes, etc.:

   the purity of drinking water.

2. freedom from any admixture or modifying addition.
3. ceremonial or ritual cleanness.
4. freedom from guilt or evil; innocence.
5. physical chastity; virginity.
6. freedom from foreign or inappropriate elements; careful correctness:

   purity of expression.

7. Optics. the chroma, saturation, or degree of freedom from white of a given color.
8. cleanness or spotlessness, as of garments.

purity

/ ˈpjʊərɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being pure
2. physics a measure of the amount of a single-frequency colour in a mixture of spectral and achromatic colours

Other Words From

• hyper·puri·ty noun
• super·puri·ty noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of purity¹

1175–1225; < Late Latin pūritās ( pure, -ity ); replacing Middle English pur ( e ) te < Anglo-French < Late Latin, as above

Example Sentences

We also heard from Paul Mango, deputy chief of staff for policy at Health and Human Services, that there were some “failed batches, in terms of not having the purity we sought.”

From Washington Post

Part of the issue with cooking with the extract is that the purity and the concentration is often unknown.

From Popular-Science

He describes water as a life source whose purity is essential to this type of fishing.

From Outside Online

Zero dosage allows the purity of the fruit to shine through without being masked by the addition of sugar.

From Fortune

You almost begin to believe in the purity of Laurence’s intent, until the scheming becomes too much to take.

From Washington Post

The attempt to “breed back” the Auroch of Teutonic legend was of a piece with the Nazi obsession with racial purity and eugenics.

From The Daily Beast

Other artisans see purity and integrity in their craft and have no dream of becoming recognized as the author of their own work.

From The Daily Beast

The family also believed that inbreeding was central to both preserving the family fortune and ensuring “purity of blood.”

From The Daily Beast

Molendorp is exhausted by the “constant purity exams” being conducted by his fellow party members.

From The Daily Beast

Wilson explained that, unlike some of the other forms of early religion, Pauline Christianity had been based on purity.

From The Daily Beast

She stood, in her young purity, at one end of the chain of years, and Mrs. Chepstow—did she really stand at the other?

From Project Gutenberg

Unfortunately Massna's record was not such as to inspire confidence in the purity of his intentions.

From Project Gutenberg

In employing these heavy pressures of wind, increased purity and beauty of tone should alone be aimed at.

From Project Gutenberg

But they all possess that essential purity and richness of tone without which there is no real excellence.

From Project Gutenberg

There are a few which possess both sweetness and purity, and they rank with the small Amatis.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• cleanliness