Undefiled

Part of speech: adjective

Pronunciation: /ˌən.dəˈfaɪld/

Definitions

1. Pure and unspoiled, remaining free from corruption, stain, or moral contamination
2. Not contaminated or corrupted by harmful influences or immoral acts
3. Remaining in an original state of cleanliness without any form of debasement or pollution

Etymology: "Undefiled" is a plain compound: the prefix "un-", meaning "not", attached to "defiled," the past participle of "defile." The prefix has been part of English since Old English, when it was "un-", and it descends from a Germanic root that also gave the word its negating sense in many other languages. The same "not" prefix appears in dozens of English words, from "unhappy" to "unwise." "Defiled" is the older half of the story. It comes from the verb "defile," which in Middle English meant to make foul, dirty, or impure. The word carries a sense of contamination that goes beyond simple dirtiness, which is why it became the natural partner for a term describing something left untouched by such corruption. "Undefiled" therefore literally means "not made foul," and it has been used for a state of purity that has never been broken.

Synonyms: pure, untarnished

Antonyms: defiled, corrupted