pristine

[ pris-teen, pri-steen; especially British pris-tahyn ]

adjective

1. having its original purity; uncorrupted or unsullied.

   Synonyms: unpolluted, untouched

2. of or relating to the earliest period or state; primitive.

pristine

/ ˈprɪstaɪn; -tiːn /

adjective

1. of or involving the earliest period, state, etc; original
2. pure; uncorrupted
3. fresh, clean, and unspoiled

   his pristine new car

Usage

The use of pristine to mean fresh, clean, and unspoiled is considered by some people to be incorrect

Word History and Origins

Origin of pristine¹

First recorded in 1525–35; from Latin pristinus “early”; akin to primus prime

Word History and Origins

Origin of pristine¹

C15: from Latin pristinus primitive; related to prīmus first, prime

Example Sentences

Efforts by governors to require low-density towns and suburbs to pull their weight faced intense pushback from local governments and suburban lawmakers who didn't want to be forced to do anything, or heard from constituents who wanted to maintain their high-value, pristine neighborhoods.

From Salon

"You'd think as a country we would be able to look after our most pristine landscapes", says cold water swimmer Jo Broughton.

From BBC

Knowing that the formerly pristine waters are so contaminated that you can’t eat many types of fish from there hurts tourism, a major source of the economy in the Great Lakes Region, he added, and “there’s nobody that supports that kind of thing.”

From Salon

The incident — which revived memories of a massive 3-million-gallon spill almost 50 years earlier — sullied some of the state’s most pristine beaches and a rare stretch of undeveloped coastline.

From Los Angeles Times

It starts at South Lake and winds for nearly six miles along a string of pristine alpine lakes, ending on a 12,000-foot ridge that marks the boundary between the eastern and western slopes of the Sierra.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• immaculate
• intact
• natural
• snowy
• spotless
• sterile
• untouched