as in fanatic
a person who has very strong ideas about what is correct or acceptable and who usually opposes changes to traditional methods and practices
a new style of play that offended the sport's purists a language purist who is always looking to correct the speech of others
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Recent Examples of purist
Securing this level of acoustic engineering for 42% off is a massive win for purists and casual listeners alike.
—
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
This turn toward a high-end consumer market — which reflects a broader trend among many retailers to cater to the affluent — hasn’t been without its critics, especially from music purists who view the festival as overly commercial.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
This subtle dose of animal print might convince even the solid-manicure purists to embrace their wild side.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
This created a direct clash with golf purists — as parodied in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 — resulting in the PGA suspending golfers participating in LIV.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Juhi Wadia, PC Magazine, 17 Apr. 2026
This turn toward a high-end consumer market — which reflects a broader trend among many retailers to cater to the affluent — hasn’t been without its critics, especially from music purists who view the festival as overly commercial.
—Cerys Davies, Los Angeles Times, 10 Apr. 2026
This subtle dose of animal print might convince even the solid-manicure purists to embrace their wild side.
—Ariel Wodarcyk, InStyle, 10 Apr. 2026
This created a direct clash with golf purists — as parodied in Adam Sandler’s Happy Gilmore 2 — resulting in the PGA suspending golfers participating in LIV.
—Skyler Trepel, PEOPLE, 10 Apr. 2026
See All Example Sentences for purist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for purist
Noun
-
For both Milne and Dermody, long-time Eurovision fanatics who have traveled to Vienna, the contest is somewhat diminished this year.—
Issy Ronald,
CNN Money,
15 May 2026
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The chance to work with Alexandre, who dissects cinema with the precision of a detective and the passion of a fanatic, is irresistible.—
Matthew Carey,
Deadline,
13 May 2026
Noun
-
While Washington was private about his Anglican beliefs and a supporter of religious freedom for all faiths, Christian nationalists have been reviving the image, and with it, the claim that the US is an inherently Christian nation at its origin.—
Devorah Lauter,
ARTnews.com,
15 May 2026
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However, the issue cannot be resolved by simply blaming those who lean toward the right or become nationalists.—
Jenny S. Li,
Variety,
13 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Purist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/purist. Accessed 23 May. 2026.
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