purer

Purer is the comparative form of the adjective pure. It describes a greater degree of purity, whether in physical composition, cleanliness, or moral quality. In science and everyday language, purer can refer to substances with fewer impurities, cleaner environments, or more virtuous motivations.

Etymology and usage: Purer derives from pure, which comes from Old French pur and Latin purus, with the standard English suffix -er for the comparative. For many contexts, especially in formal writing, more pure is also used instead of purer; in casual speech purer is common when a single word is preferred.

Examples and contexts: A laboratory might report a purer sample of silicon after additional purification. Environmental discussions may compare purer air or purer water. Philosophical or ethical writing may discuss purer motives or purer ideals, though concepts of purity can be subjective and culturally defined.

See also: pure, purity, purification, purify.