Not mixed with anything else; clean and free from contamination, or morally good and innocent.
From Old French *pur*, from Latin *purus* meaning 'clean, clear, unmixed'. It has long carried both a physical sense (clean, unmixed) and a moral sense (innocent, good).
Pure water and 'pure intentions' share the same root idea: nothing extra, nothing dirty, nothing hidden. When ads brag about '100% pure', they are tapping into both our health fears and our desire for moral simplicity.
'Pure' has been heavily used in moral and sexual discourses, especially to police women’s and girls’ sexuality and to enforce gendered double standards. It also appears in racialized and eugenic contexts tied to 'purity' of bloodlines.
Avoid using 'pure' to describe people’s moral worth, sexuality, or identity; focus on specific behaviors or properties instead. Be cautious with 'purity' metaphors that echo oppressive histories.
["unmixed (for substances)","uncontaminated","simple","uncomplicated","focused"]
Feminist and queer movements have challenged purity cultures that shame women and LGBTQ+ people, reframing autonomy and consent as ethical centers instead of 'purity.'
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