Impurity
/ɪmˈpjʊərɪti/noun
The state of being impure; contamination or lack of purity.
Did you know?In many ancient and medieval traditions, “purity” wasn’t just moral—it was ritual, legal, and magical, so impurity could mean anything from physical dirt to sacred contamination.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*peu-
“to cleanse, purify”
Latin
Latin
purus
“clean, untainted, pure”
Latin
Latin
impurus
“unclean, filthy, morally impure”
Old French
Old French
impurité
“impurity, uncleanness”
Middle English
English
impurite
“impurity, moral or physical uncleanness”
Modern English
English
impurity
“the state of being impure”