verb · neutral
purify
UK/ˈpjʊərɪfaɪ/US/ˈpʊrɪfaɪ/PU·ri·fy
to remove dirty or harmful substances from something so it becomes clean and safe
Examples
“The village built a small plant to purify groundwater for drinking.”
“Charcoal filters can purify water by removing organic contaminants.”
“Some religious rituals aim to purify the mind as well as the body.”
Band 8 sentence
“Large-scale desalination and purification technologies are indispensable if coastal cities are to secure reliable drinking-water supplies under climate stress.”
Collocations
- purify water
- water purification
- purify of impurities
Word family
Common mistakes
purify water from pollutants→purify water of pollutants / remove pollutants from water
a purify machine→a purifier / a water purifier
We purify the room→We purify the air in the room / We clean the room
Say it for a higher band
5clean→6filter→7+purify
Synonyms
filter
cleanse
Easily confused
filter
“The cheap pitcher filters some sediments but does not remove bacteria.”
Related words
Learn this word with the rest of its set, and get reminded at the right time.
In -ify
Learn it with its set