unadulterated
Americanadjective
-
not diluted or made impure by adulterating; pure.
unadulterated maple syrup.
-
utter; absolute.
unadulterated nonsense.
adjective
Other Word Forms
- unadulteratedly adverb
Etymology
Origin of unadulterated
First recorded in 1710–20; un- 1 + adulterate + -ed 2
Explanation
Something that's pure, not mixed with other ingredients, is unadulterated. If you stand in your yard every time it rains singing "Singin' in the Rain" with unadulterated enthusiasm, your neighbors will eventually call the police. Food or drink that is pure is also said to be unadulterated. Some people like chocolate milk, but you might prefer the unadulterated variety. The adjective unadulterated also means "without qualifications," and it can be used in a negative way to mean "complete and utter." You'd probably feel like an unadulterated idiot if you shocked yourself by sticking a knife in the toaster after being advised not to.
Vocabulary lists containing unadulterated
Rap Lyrics
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"Simon's Saga," Vocabulary from Episode 1
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A Wrinkle in Time
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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.
Conservative commentator Meghan McCain blasted Owens’ campaign as “pure, unadulterated evil.”
From Salon • Mar. 4, 2026
For thousands of years, they say, these animals hunted for their meals and consumed their prey whole, absorbing the carcasses’ unadulterated nutrients.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026
A growing number of people are forgoing formal writing conventions altogether for an unadulterated stream of consciousness—anything to preserve and insist upon their humanity.
From Slate • Aug. 20, 2025
“The record will ultimately demonstrate that this is nothing more than a manufactured lawsuit intended to tarnish the good names of Smokey and Frances Robinson, for no other reason than unadulterated avarice,” the statement read.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2025
When I finally am able to push the thudding to the back of my head, I’m bowled over by the colors and smells and unadulterated joy around me.
From "An Ember in the Ashes" by Sabaa Tahir
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
