# pristine

/ˈpɹɪstin/ (US) · /pɹɪstˈiːn/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/pristine
Updated: 2026-08-08

## Senses

### 2. natural and untouched

adjective · CEFR C1 · Literary

a place that is still in its natural state and has not been damaged by humans.

For teachers: referring to a natural environment that remains in its original, uncorrupted state.

- We hiked through a pristine forest where no one had built roads yet.
- Environmentalists argue that the pristine wilderness of the Arctic must be protected from industrial exploration at all costs.

### 3. earliest state

adjective · CEFR C2 · Academic · Formal

belonging to the very first or earliest period of something.

For teachers: pertaining to the earliest or original state of a system or object.

- Scientists are studying the pristine state of the solar system.
- The researcher sought to reconstruct the pristine version of the manuscript before centuries of transcription errors had crept in.

## Examples

- The car is ten years old but still in pristine condition.
- After a long hike, we finally reached a pristine lake that was completely hidden from the main trail.
- The museum's collection includes several pristine examples of early printing, with pages that have remained remarkably white and crisp despite being centuries old.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.