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
Los Angeles Times, 8 Feb. 2026
These look like red wax hearts sealed on a white envelope—crisp, pristine, yet somehow still romantic.
—Rebecca Norris, InStyle, 7 Feb. 2026
The ship had spent the past few days navigating the Alexander Archipelago, with its pine forests, dramatic mountains, and pristine fjords.
—Fran Golden, Travel + Leisure, 7 Feb. 2026
Opt for a pristine white or cream colorway to give your bedroom that boutique hotel sleep experience.
—Yelena Moroz Alpert, Architectural Digest, 7 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 14 Feb. 2026.
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pristine
adjective
