impurity

English

Etymology

From impure +‎ -ity. From Middle French impurité, from Latin impuritas.

Pronunciation

  • (US) IPA(key): /ɪmˈpjɝɪti/, /ɪmˈpjuɹɪti/
  • Audio (Southern England):(file)
  • Audio (US):(file)

Noun

impurity (countable and uncountable, plural impurities)

This citrine stone is a quartz stone that has turned golden yellow due to iron impurities.
  1. The condition of being impure; because of contamination, pollution, adulteration or insufficient purification.
    Synonym: impureness
    Antonym: purity
    Even animals in the Jewish system cause impurity only when they are dead.
  2. A component or additive that renders something else impure.
    Synonyms: adulterant, contamination, taint; see also Thesaurus:contaminant
    The impurities in the iron ore made extraction of the iron very difficult.
    • 2013 June 1, “A better waterworks”, in The Economist‎[1], volume 407, number 8838, London: The Economist Group, →ISSN, →OCLC, archived from the original on 25 June 2017, page 5 (Technology Quarterly):
      An artificial kidney these days still means a refrigerator-sized dialysis machine. Such devices mimic the way real kidneys cleanse blood and eject impurities and surplus water as urine.
  3. A state of immorality or sin; especially the weakness of the flesh: inchastity.
    Synonyms: depravity, perversion, wickedness; see also Thesaurus:iniquity
    With his cheating, lying and stealing, he epitomised the impurity of humanity.

Translations

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