purist

noun

pur·​ist ˈpyu̇r-ist How to pronounce purist (audio)
Synonyms of puristnext
: a person who adheres strictly and often excessively to a tradition
especially : one preoccupied with the purity of a language and its protection from the use of foreign or altered forms
puristic
pyu̇-ˈri-stik How to pronounce purist (audio)
adjective
puristically
pyu̇-ˈri-sti-k(ə-)lē How to pronounce purist (audio)
adverb

Examples of purist in a Sentence

a purist who only drinks European wines
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
While there are certainly some wood purists out there, Molnar isn’t one of them. — Tessa Cooper, Southern Living, 2 Aug. 2026 Yet, trapped within the GOP apparatus, his baseline scenario has always been a predictable squeeze in the primary, caught between conservative purists who view him as too centrist and partisan Democrats who hold the financial high ground. — Dain Fitzgerald, The Washington Examiner, 1 Aug. 2026 But are these findings evidence that remote work purists have been right all along or ammunition for the return-to-office crowd? — Kristin Stoller, Fortune, 27 July 2026 Cobbler purists often like to pair their servings with a sidecar of cold cream to shower on top. — Karla Walsh, Better Homes & Gardens, 25 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for purist

Word History

First Known Use

1699, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of purist was in 1699

Rhymes for purist

See All Rhymes for purist

Browse Nearby Words

purism
purist
puristic
See all Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/purist. Accessed 15 Aug. 2026.

Copy Citation

More from Merriam-Webster on purist

Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for purist

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

More from Merriam-Webster

Word of the Day

Listen to the pronunciation of circumscribe

See Definitions and Examples »

Popular in Grammar & Usage

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

7 Pairs of Commonly Confused Words

Is that lie 'bald-faced' or 'bold-faced'?

'A' or 'an'? What about before 'h'? An Indefinite Article Guide

Why is '-ed' sometimes pronounced at the end of a word?
See More

Popular in Wordplay

See More

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List

It's a Scorcher! Words for the Summer Heat

The Words of the Week - Aug. 14

12 Lovely and Unusual Words for the Natural World
See More

Popular

See More

A Who’s Who Regarding ‘Who’s’ and ‘Whose’

Words from the 'Odyssey'

The Longest Long Words List
See More

Games & Quizzes

See All
Play Quordle: Guess all four words in a limited number of tries. Each of your guesses must be a real 5-letter word.
Quordle Can you solve 4 words at once?
Play Blossom: Solve today's spelling word game by finding as many words as you can using just 7 letters. Longer words score more points.
Blossom Pick the best words!
Play Missing Letter: a crossword with a twist. Each of the 25 puzzle words start with a different letter of the alphabet. Which letter is missing?
The Missing Letter A daily crossword with a twist
image of a green cube out of place in a lineup of red spheres
Odd Word Out: Synonyms Vol. 2 Quiz Figure out which word isn't like the others.
See All