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 Word Forms

• hyperpurity noun
• superpurity 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

The filmmaker was drawn to one trait in particular: “The eyes of Jacob were incredibly soulful and incredibly profound, and he had a purity and a certain innocence,” Del Toro says.

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Sacramento Democrats are prioritizing affordability and practical results over ideological purity, as demonstrated by their reform of the California Environmental Quality Act despite opposition from environmental activists, ultimately helping to reduce housing and energy costs.

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They seem to view such tragedies as a price to pay to uphold a right-wing values system that is obsessed with ideas of purity and traditional gender roles.

Read more on Salon

It answers Riefenstahl’s carefully chosen narrative, a fable of disillusioned purity, with an equally forensic counternarrative exposing her childlike narcissism about the impact of her talent.

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“People should be wary of any unregulated treatments, as the purity dosage and presence of contaminants are often unknown,” Bickart said.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• cleanliness