impurity
noun
im·pu·ri·ty
(ˌ)im-ˈpyu̇r-ə-tē 
plural impurities
1
: something that is impure or makes something else impure
removing impurities from water
2
: the quality or state of being impure
Examples of impurity in a Sentence
the impurity of the water
The syrup is strained to remove impurities.
The water is free of impurities.
Recent Examples on the Web
Before the 1990s, most studies used a limited number of natural diamonds, which had variable performance because of innate impurities.
—
Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Apr. 2025
In contrast, impurities in lunar dust give moonglass a slight tiny from the start—which stabilizes the material, preventing further darkening and also making the cells resistant to damaging radiation.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The process of doping, which involves applying silver nitrate, introduces impurities to the quantum dots, altering their electronic properties.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2025
In normal silicon, a transistor's threshold voltage can be adjusted by doping the silicon—implanting impurities that change the semiconductor's behavior.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impurity
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Kapil Kajal, Interesting Engineering, 8 Apr. 2025
In contrast, impurities in lunar dust give moonglass a slight tiny from the start—which stabilizes the material, preventing further darkening and also making the cells resistant to damaging radiation.
—Ian Randall, MSNBC Newsweek, 7 Apr. 2025
The process of doping, which involves applying silver nitrate, introduces impurities to the quantum dots, altering their electronic properties.
—Tejasri Gururaj, Interesting Engineering, 4 Apr. 2025
In normal silicon, a transistor's threshold voltage can be adjusted by doping the silicon—implanting impurities that change the semiconductor's behavior.
—John Timmer, ArsTechnica, 2 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for impurity
Cite this Entry
“Impurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/impurity. Accessed 19 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
impurity
noun
im·pu·ri·ty
(ˈ)im-ˈpyu̇r-ət-ē
plural impurities
1
: the quality or state of being impure
2
: something that is impure or that makes impure
remove impurities from water
Medical Definition
impurity
noun
im·pu·ri·ty
(ˈ)im-ˈpyu̇r-ət-ē
plural impurities
: something that is impure or makes something else impure
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