purist

[ pyoor-ist ]

noun

1. a person who advocates the strictest application of the principles or standards in any field, or who insists on purity in language, style, etc.:

   When making hip-hop he began as a purist, putting most of the focus on solid lyrics and less on working with the music and production.

2. Often Purist. Fine Arts. a practitioner of purism, an early 20th-century style of art characterized by the use of simple geometric forms and images evoking manufactured objects:

   The Purists saw their painting as the next step in the evolution of modern art after Cubism, which they found too decorative.

adjective

1. relating to or being a purist:

   The purist view of theater design is that if there is a column or pillar anywhere, there is a problem.

Other Words From

• pu·ris·tic [py, oo, uh, -, rees, -tik], pu·ris·ti·cal adjective
• pu·ris·ti·cal·ly adverb
• hy·per·pur·ist noun adjective
• non·pu·ris·tic adjective
• un·pu·ris·tic adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of purist¹

First recorded in 1695–1705; from French puriste, equivalent to pur(e) ( def ) + -ist ( def )

Example Sentences

While the main event has drawn plenty of criticism from boxing purists, given Tyson's age, the inclusion of Taylor-Serrano adds some credibility.

From BBC

There are theater lovers, purists you might call them, who would prefer to see a work as its author intended it to be seen.

From Los Angeles Times

The prospect of him following one-time mentor Pep Guardiola to the Premier League is an alluring one for football purists.

From BBC

Aside from perhaps the purists, football fans don't go to a match to watch zonal marking or a low defensive block.

From BBC

He spent more than any other owner in baseball and transformed the Yankees in the minds of many purists into the Evil Empire.

From Los Angeles Times