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impurity Definition

im·pu·rity (im pyo̵or′ə tē)

noun

  1. the state or quality of being impure
  2. pl. impurities -·ties an impure thing or element

Etymology: OFr impurité < L impuritas

impurity Synonyms

impurity

n.

  1. Contamination

    adulteration, pollution, defilement, infection; see contamination, pollution.

  2. An impure element

    dirt, contaminant, pollutant; see filth, germ 3.

  3. Lewdness

    indecency, immorality, pornography; see lewdness.

impurity Usage Examples

Adjective modifier

  • sexual: We must guard against sexual impurity to protect those that we love the most.

Modifies a noun

  • atom: By adding impurity atoms you can further alter the resistance of the material.
  • ion: This excitation is therefore different from the excited state of an impurity ion which is fixed.
  • standard: Approximately 1400 of these products are from the Mikromol range of impurity standards.
  • content: The difference is probably due to a heightened impurity content in the ice age ice.

Noun used with modifier

  • ritual: Persons and objects have to be washed to remove ritual impurity in the Law.
  • segment: The effect on the miss, false alarm and segment impurity rates is given in Table 5.

Preposition: in

  • seed: It was also an impurity in crimson clover seed.
impurity Quotes

I cannot praise a fugitive and cloistered virtue, unexercised and unbreathed, that never sallies out and sees her adversary, but slinks out of the race where that immortal garland is to be run for, not without dust and heat. Assuredly we bring not innocence into the world, we bring impurity much rather; that which purifies us is trial, and trial is by what is contrary.

—Milton,John