pristine
adjective
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When pristine was anglicized in the 16th century, people borrowed the meanings of "early" and "original" from the Latin word pristinus and applied those meanings to what is desirable as well as to what is not. But it has long been a tendency of civilized people to admire a simpler and unsullied past. The supposition is that when things were in their oldest or original state, they were better. Thus, pristine was extended to describe the notion of an unspoiled, uncorrupted, or unpolluted state. And what is unspoiled or uncontaminated may connote the freshness and cleanness of something that has just been made, which explains how pristine has also come to mean "fresh and clean."
Examples of pristine in a Sentence
Issy Ronald, CNN Money, 22 Feb. 2026
The land was once home to the House of Reformation and Instruction for Colored Children, and borders the pristine Cheltenham Veterans Cemetery in Long’s district.
—William J. Ford, Baltimore Sun, 21 Feb. 2026
Analyst Kristine Liwag applauded GE Aerospace’s durable services growth, strong pricing power and pristine balance sheet.
—Lisa Kailai Han, CNBC, 20 Feb. 2026
While most women figure skaters are known to sport pristine buns and dance to very predictable classics and pop songs, Alysa Liu subverts the norm.
—Lea Veloso, StyleCaster, 20 Feb. 2026
See All Example Sentences for pristine
Cite this Entry
“Pristine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pristine. Accessed 26 Feb. 2026.
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pristine
adjective
