# purified

/ˈpjʊɹəˌfaɪd/ (US) · /pjˈʊɹɪfˌaɪd/ (UK) · CEFR B2 · Adjective

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/purified
Updated: 2026-05-07

## Definition

cleaned by removing any dirt, chemicals, or other unwanted substances. You use this to describe things like water or air that are now safe and clear.

For teachers: having been processed to remove contaminants or impurities. Often used as a participial adjective to describe substances like water, chemicals, or gases.

## Examples

- The hikers drank purified water from the stream.
- The laboratory requires purified air to prevent any dust from ruining the sensitive experiments.
- After the chemical spill, the local government installed a new system to ensure that only purified water reached the residential taps in the valley.

## Pitfalls

- Not "The water was purify" but "The water was purified" — Learners often use the base verb form instead of the past participle adjective to describe the state of a substance.

## Usage notes

- Often used attributively before a noun or predicatively after a linking verb like 'is' or 'remains'.

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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.