impure

adjective

im·​pure (ˌ)im-ˈpyu̇r How to pronounce impure (audio)
: not pure: such as
a
: containing something unclean : foul
impure water
b
: mixed or impregnated with an extraneous and usually unwanted substance
an impure chemical
c
d
: ritually unclean
impurely adverb
impureness noun

Examples of impure in a Sentence

be careful, because impure motor oil can damage your car's engine Victorian notions of what qualified as impure art now strike us as laughable.
Recent Examples on the Web But an age of conflict invariably becomes, to some degree, an age of amorality because the only way to protect a world fit for freedom is to court impure partners and engage in impure acts. Hal Brands, Foreign Affairs, 20 Feb. 2024 And in medieval and early modern Europe, when impure blood was believed to unbalance the humors of the body and cause disease, the creatures were seen as solicitous helpers, ever ready to relieve a patient of their unwelcome plasma. Zoey Poll, New York Times, 16 Feb. 2024 Until about the mid-second century CE, Roman glass was manufactured with either Syro-Levantine raw glass made with relatively pure sand—resulting in a black/purplish color—or a high-magnesium glass made with impure iron-rich sand and the addition of vegetable ash to confer a dark green color. Andrew Cunningham, Ars Technica, 18 Sep. 2023 Using impure water in formula can prove fatal to infants. Richard Engel, NBC News, 6 Dec. 2023 The more obvious one, given those titular peepers, is that Mizu had a white father, rendering her an impure monster to her countrymen. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2023 Instead of making the cleansing of impure spirits the exclusive domain of a shadowy arm of the Church that answers to the Vatican, the movie throws in Pentecostal holy rollers, spiritual healing methods and folk medicine rooted in African culture and — God save us — the power of group solidarity. David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 3 Sep. 2019 Some of the common problems can include: Customs issues due to poor packaging and labeling Receiving a contaminated or impure product Mistakes with dosing due to defective capsules or unclear instructions Mix-ups with the form of phenibut provided No product arriving at all! The Salt Lake Tribune, 16 Aug. 2023 Hoffmann improved on earlier work of French chemist Charles Frederic Gerhardt, who derived acetylsalicylic acid from plants, but only in an impure, unstable form. Scott Lafee, San Diego Union-Tribune, 8 Aug. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'impure.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Middle English, from Middle French & Latin; Middle French, from Latin impurus, from in- + purus pure

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of impure was in the 15th century

Dictionary Entries Near impure

Cite this Entry

“Impure.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impure. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

impure

adjective
im·​pure (ˈ)im-ˈpyu̇(ə)r How to pronounce impure (audio)
1
: not pure : unclean, dirty
2
: mixed with something else that is usually not as good
an impure chemical
impurely adverb

Medical Definition

impure

adjective
im·​pure (ˈ)im-ˈpyu̇(ə)r How to pronounce impure (audio)
: not pure: as
a
: containing something unclean
impure water
b
: mixed or impregnated with an extraneous and usually unwanted substance : adulterated
an impure chemical

More from Merriam-Webster on impure

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