Pureness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The quality or condition of being free from impurities or contaminants
2. The state of being clean, untainted, or uncontaminated by foreign substances
3. A condition characterized by absence of dirt, pollutants, or morally corrupt elements

Etymology: Pureness is about as plain as English word-formation gets: the adjective "pure" with the suffix "-ness" attached, which turns any adjective into a noun for a quality or state. The adjective itself came into English from Old French "pur", which in turn descends from Latin "purus", meaning clean or unmixed. The suffix is much older and entirely native, traceable through Old English "-nes" to a Germanic ancestor, so the word is a hybrid: a Latin-derived root joined to a Germanic ending. Because "-ness" can attach to almost any adjective, the formation is productive rather than rare, and pureness sits alongside older and more common "purity," which came into English from the Latin noun "puritas" by a different route. Both mean the same thing, but "pureness" is the more homely, Germanic-flavoured choice, which is why it often sounds plainer in everyday speech.

Synonyms: clarity, innocence

Antonyms: corruption, taint