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
Sarah Lyon, Southern Living, 13 Sep. 2025
But those who do make the trek are rewarded with pristine stargazing, some of the oldest trees in the world and more natural wonders.
—Kathleen Wong, USA Today, 12 Sep. 2025
The park’s crown jewel is Bear Island, a pristine, undeveloped barrier island accessible only by ferry or private boat.
—Evan Moore, Charlotte Observer, 12 Sep. 2025
East Beach is one of the Ocean State’s most pristine stretches of shoreline, running for nearly three miles.
—Lauren Dana Ellman, Travel + Leisure, 12 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for pristine
Cite this Entry
“Pristine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pristine. Accessed 16 Sep. 2025.
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pristine
adjective
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