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
Andrew McKean, Outdoor Life, 4 July 2024
Many, like Lever House, are pristine and beautiful examples of mid-century commerce.
—Lily Moayeri, SPIN, 2 July 2024
McCallum says people who own adventure yachts tend to be younger than your standard superyacht owner, and have a particular interest in remote and pristine places.
—Beth Greenfield, Fortune, 30 June 2024
From the water, anyone can enjoy the pristine natural beauty and grandeur of the monasteries' architecture.
—Sucheta Rawal, Travel + Leisure, 27 June 2024
See all Example Sentences for pristine 
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'pristine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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“Pristine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pristine. Accessed 15 Jul. 2024.
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pristine
adjective
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