Definitions
01not mixed
B1 · Intermediate
adj. not mixed with anything else; made of only one substance.
adj. consisting of a single substance or element; free from any different or contaminating material.
日本語:純粋※
“The ring is made of pure gold and is very expensive.”
“The laboratory required a supply of pure oxygen to ensure that no outside gases interfered with the delicate chemical reaction.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
02clean and perfect
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. clean, clear, and free from any marks or bad qualities.
adj. free from flaws, imperfections, or moral corruption; unsullied in character or appearance.
日本語:清らか※
“The mountain air was pure and fresh after the rain.”
“The singer's voice was noted for its pure tone, which remained clear even in the highest registers of the aria.”
03complete or total
B2 · Upper Intermediate
adj. complete or total; used to emphasize how strong a feeling or situation is.
adj. absolute and unqualified; used as an intensifier to emphasize the totality of a state or quality.
“It was pure luck that we found the keys in the grass.”
“The children's faces showed pure joy when they saw the snow falling for the first time that winter.”
04theoretical
C1 · Advanced Science Academic
adj. studying something for its own sake, not for how it can be used in real life.
adj. concerned with theory and fundamental principles rather than practical applications.
“She prefers pure mathematics to the kind used in engineering.”
“While applied physics focuses on technology, pure physics seeks to understand the fundamental laws governing the universe.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
05no side effects
C1 · Advanced Computing Technical
adj. describing a function that only uses its input and does not change anything else in the program.
adj. describing a function that always returns the same output for the same input and has no observable side effects.
“A pure function is easier to test because it doesn't change global variables.”
“Functional programming languages encourage the use of pure functions to minimize state-related bugs in complex systems.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
06very or extremely
C1 · Advanced Dialect · Slang
adv. very or extremely; used to make an adjective stronger.
adv. used as an intensifier meaning 'extremely' or 'totally'.
“That movie was pure brilliant.”
“The weather was pure dead brilliant for the entire duration of our trip to the Highlands.”
Teaching tip
This usage is particularly common in Scottish English and among younger speakers in certain urban areas of the UK.
07to hit cleanly
C2 · Proficiency Sports Informal
v. to hit a ball perfectly and cleanly in a sport like golf.
v. to strike a ball with perfect timing and contact, resulting in a clean flight.
“He pured his 7-iron shot right onto the green.”
“The golfer managed to pure his drive despite the heavy wind, sending the ball straight down the middle of the fairway.”
Synonyms
Antonyms
Collocations
Common phrases and expressions where native English speakers use the word “pure” in context.
Verb
01. keep the air pure
“We installed a high-tech filtration system to keep the air pure inside the laboratory.”
verb + noun + adj
02. remain pure
“The mountain springs remain pure because they are far from industrial areas.”
verb + adj
Adjective
03. pure and simple
“The problem is a lack of funding, pure and simple.”
adj + and + adj
04. pure coincidence
“Meeting my old teacher in London was a matter of pure coincidence.”
adj + noun
05. pure joy
“The look on the child's face when she saw the puppy was one of pure joy.”
adj + noun
Noun
06. pure silk shirt
“She decided to wear a pure silk shirt for the formal dinner.”
adj + noun + noun
07. pure water supply
“The remote village struggled to maintain a pure water supply during the drought.”
adj + noun + noun
Real-World Examples
“Pure water freezes only at around -38°C (-36°F).” “It took months before I finally gave up and sang with my natural, pure voice.” “His original aim was pure scientific understanding - but as it happens, his work is also now used by a British-based company.” “You require it, in my view, for the rest of your natural life.”
“This is pure entertainment for him,” Danson argues.” Etymology
From Middle English pure, pur, from Old French pur, from Latin pūrus (“clean, free from dirt or filth, unmixed, plain”), from Proto-Indo-European *pewH- (“to cleanse, purify”). Displaced native Middle English lutter (“pure, clear, sincere”) (from Old English hlūtor, hluttor), Middle English skere (“pure, sheer, clear”) (from Old English scǣre and Old Norse skǣr), Middle English schir (“clear, pure”) (from Old English scīr), Middle English smete, smeate (“pure, refined”) (from Old English smǣte; compare Old English mǣre (“pure”)).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
VERB
ADJECTIVE
Related words
Domain
- Exam level
- CambridgeCambridgeCambridge English QualificationsThe exam suite from Cambridge University Press & Assessment, from A1 Movers up to C2 Proficiency. The benchmark names double as CEFR labels.B2 FirstIELTSIELTSInternational English Language Testing SystemThe 0–9 band test co-owned by the British Council, IDP, and Cambridge. Used for university entry, work, and migration.5.5–6.5TOEFL iBTTOEFL iBTTest of English as a Foreign Language, Internet-Based TestETS's academic English test, the standard route for US university admissions. Scored 0–120, with a 1–6 scale since 2026.1–6 scale: 4.0–4.572–94TOEICTOEICTest of English for International CommunicationETS's workplace English test, big in Japan and Korea. Listening & Reading scores 10–990 and tops out at C1.785–944
- Frequency
- Common
- Level
- B2 · Upper IntermediateOxford
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QR code
englishreference.com/q/pure
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「日本語」「カタカナ語」 data: JMdict (EDRDG), CC BY-SA 4.0