Definition

Not clean or free from unwanted substances; mixed with something that makes it less pure.

Example

The water was impure and not safe to drink.

Conversation

I heard that some of the water in the river is impure due to pollution.

That's really concerning! We shouldn't swim there then.

Yeah, it's better to stick to the clean lakes nearby.

Absolutely, I don't want to get sick from impure water.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Impure → It is formed from the prefix "in-" (meaning not) and the root "purus" (from Latin, meaning pure). The word "impure" means not pure or contaminated.

Memory Tip

Think of 'not' ('in-') combined with 'pure' ('purus') to remember that 'impure' means something that is not pure.

Visually Confused Words