Pure vs. True: What's the Difference?
Edited by Sumera Saeed || By Sawaira Riaz || Updated on October 7, 2023
Pure refers to being free from contaminants or unadulterated, while true pertains to conformity with fact or reality, having accurate existence. They relate to different concepts: purity is about untainted essence, and truth is about veracity.
Key Differences
Pure, in its essence, frequently refers to something that is free of any contaminants or adulterants, maintaining its original, unblemished state. In stark contrast, true does not reference physical characteristics or states but refers to the veracity or accuracy of a statement, concept, or belief.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Pure conveys a sense of cleanliness, sterility, or chastity, implying that something is preserved in its original state without any tarnish or corruption. True, however, often bears a moral or factual connotation, indicating correctness, accuracy, or reliability without necessarily indicating a preservation of originality or absence of corruption.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Pure typically implies an absence of undesirable elements or qualities and is especially prevalent in describing physical substances or moral virtue. Whereas true, which also may be utilized to describe physical direction or alignment, often delves into realms of honesty, faithfulness, and accuracy in relation to facts or authenticity.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Pure is often affiliated with moral and ethical qualities, signifying a kind of virtuousness and innocence unmarred by immoral elements. In contrast, true may be applied to situations or things, illustrating accuracy or authenticity, but can also describe faithfulness, as in a relationship, without implicating moral virtuousness or ethicality.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Pure, when used in a non-physical context, can describe an intense or unmixed emotion, such as pure joy, indicating a singular, unblended feeling. True does not emphasize singularity or intensity of emotion but prioritizes validity, reliability, and accuracy when used in a non-physical context, offering a stark difference in contextual usage.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 07, 2023
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Comparison Chart
Connotative Focus
Cleanliness, unadulterated, unmixed
Veracity, accuracy, faithfulness
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Moral/Ethical Implication
Often implies moral intactness
Primarily about factuality, can imply faithfulness
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Emotional Context
Can imply singular, intense emotion
Does not denote emotional intensity
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Typical Usage
Mostly describes physical substances or moral states
Can describe accuracy, authenticity, or alignment
Janet White
Oct 07, 2023
Nature of Concept
Pertains to a state of being, physical or moral
Pertains to adherence to fact or authenticity
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
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Pure and True Definitions
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True
Conforming to the characteristics or criteria of a group or type; typical
A true crab.
A true gentleman.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Free of dirt, pollutants, infectious agents, or other unwanted elements
Pure water.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Containing nothing inappropriate or extraneous
A pure style of piano playing.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Having no moral failing or guilt
"I felt pure and sweet as a new baby" (Sylvia Plath).
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
(Genetics) Produced by self-fertilization or continual inbreeding; homozygous
A pure line.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Exactly conforming to a rule, standard, or pattern
Trying to sing true B.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
(Linguistics) Articulated with a single unchanging speech sound; monophthongal
A pure vowel.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Determined with reference to the earth's axis, not the magnetic poles
True north.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
(Computers) Indicating one of two possible values taken by a variable in Boolean logic or a binary device.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
To position (something) so as to make it balanced, level, or square
Trued up the long planks.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
(of a branch of science) Done for its own sake instead of serving another branch of science.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
(phonetics) Of a single, simple sound or tone; said of some vowels and the unaspirated consonants.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
(of a statement) Conforming to the actual state of reality or fact; factually correct.
This is a true story.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
As an ellipsis of "(while) it is true (that)", used to start a sentence
True, I have only read part of the book, but I like it so far.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Conforming to a rule or pattern; exact; accurate.
A true copy;
A true likeness of the original
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
(golf) to hit (the ball) completely cleanly and accurately
Tiger Woods pured his first drive straight down the middle of the fairway.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
(logic) Of the state in Boolean logic that indicates an affirmative or positive result.
"A and B" is true if and only if "A" is true and "B" is true.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Genuine; legitimate, valid.
This is true Parmesan cheese.
The true king has returned!
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Used in the designation of group of species, or sometimes a single species, to indicate that it belongs to the clade its common name (which may be more broadly scoped in common speech) is restricted to in technical speech, or to distinguish it from a similar species, the latter of which may be called false.
True spiders
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Separate from all heterogeneous or extraneous matter; free from mixture or combination; clean; mere; simple; unmixed; as, pure water; pure clay; pure air; pure compassion.
The pure fetters on his shins great.
A guinea is pure gold if it has in it no alloy.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Free from moral defilement or quilt; hence, innocent; guileless; chaste; - applied to persons.
Now the end of the commandment is charity out of a pure heart, and of a good conscience.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
(of a mechanical part) Correctly aligned or calibrated, without deviation.
Is my bike wheel true? It feels unsteady.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Free from that which harms, vitiates, weakens, or pollutes; genuine; real; perfect; - applied to things and actions.
Such was the origin of a friendship as warm and pure as any that ancient or modern history records.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Ritually clean; fitted for holy services.
Thou shalt set them in two rows, six on a row, upon the pure table before the Lord.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Of a single, simple sound or tone; - said of some vowels and the unaspirated consonants.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Free of extraneous elements of any kind;
Pure air and water
Pure gold
Pure primary colors
The violin's pure and lovely song
Pure tones
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Without qualification; used informally as (often pejorative) intensifiers;
An arrant fool
A complete coward
A consummate fool
A double-dyed villain
Gross negligence
A perfect idiot
Pure folly
What a sodding mess
Stark staring mad
A thoroughgoing villain
Utter nonsense
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Concerned with theory and data rather than practice; opposed to applied;
Pure science
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Jan 24, 2023
Pure
(of color) being chromatically pure; not diluted with white or gray or black
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
To straighten (of something that is supposed to be straight).
He trued the spokes of the bicycle wheel.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
Used of persons or behaviors; having no faults; sinless;
I felt pure and sweet as a new baby
Pure as the driven snow
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
To make even, level, symmetrical, or accurate, align; adjust.
We spent all night truing up the report.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
Pure
In a state of sexual virginity;
Pure and vestal modesty
A spinster or virgin lady
Men have decreed that their women must be pure and virginal
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Conformable to fact; in accordance with the actual state of things; correct; not false, erroneous, inaccurate, or the like; as, a true relation or narration; a true history; a declaration is true when it states the facts.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Right to precision; conformable to a rule or pattern; exact; accurate; as, a true copy; a true likeness of the original.
Making his eye, foot, and hand keep true time.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Steady in adhering to friends, to promises, to a prince, or the like; unwavering; faithful; loyal; not false, fickle, or perfidious; as, a true friend; a wife true to her husband; an officer true to his charge.
Thy so true,So faithful, love unequaled.
Dare to be true: nothing can need a lie.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Actual; not counterfeit, adulterated, or pretended; genuine; pure; real; as, true balsam; true love of country; a true Christian.
The true light which lighteth every man that cometh into the world.
True ease in writing comes from art, not chance.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Genuine; real; not deviating from the essential characters of a class; as, a lizard is a true reptile; a whale is a true, but not a typical, mammal.
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Proper alignment; the property possessed by something that is in correct or proper alignment;
Out of true
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Make level, square, balanced, or concentric;
True up the cylinder of an engine
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Consistent with fact or reality; not false;
The story is true
It is undesirable to believe a proposition when there is no ground whatever for supposing it true
The true meaning of the statement
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Conforming to definitive criteria;
The horseshoe crab is not a true crab
Pythagoras was the first true mathematician
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Devoted (sometimes fanatically) to a cause or concept or truth;
True believers bonded together against all who disagreed with them
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Jan 24, 2023
True
Expressing or given to expressing the truth;
A true statement
Gave truthful testimony
A truthful person
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Worthy of being depended on;
A dependable worker
An honest working stiff
A reliable source of information
He was true to his word
I would be true for there are those who trust me
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Not pretended; sincerely felt or expressed;
Genuine emotion
Her interest in people was unfeigned
True grief
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Rightly so called;
True courage
A spirit which true men have always admired
A true friend
Sawaira Riaz
Jan 24, 2023
True
Determined with reference to the earth's axis rather than the magnetic poles;
True north is geographic north
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Jan 24, 2023
True
Having a legally established claim;
The legitimate heir
The true and lawful king
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Jan 24, 2023
FAQs
Can pure be used to describe colors?
Yes, e.g., pure white means unadulterated white.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Does pure always refer to substances?
No, it can also refer to intangible things like emotions or intentions.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Does pure refer to truth?
Not typically, it generally indicates freedom from contaminants or adulterants.
Sara Rehman
Oct 07, 2023
Can something be true yet not pure?
Yes, an accurate statement (true) need not be morally pure.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Does true always imply honesty?
Not always, it can also indicate accuracy or alignment.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Can true be used to describe physical accuracy?
Yes, e.g., a surface can be true (aligned and level).
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Can something be pure but not true?
Yes, something can be pure (unmixed) but factually incorrect (not true).
Aimie Carlson
Oct 07, 2023
Can pure refer to high quality?
Yes, such as pure gold indicating high quality/unmixed.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Can pure describe emotions?
Yes, e.g., pure joy indicates an unmixed, intense emotion.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Can purity be physical and moral?
Yes, pure can describe a substance or moral state.
Janet White
Oct 07, 2023
Can truthfulness be described using true?
Yes, truthfulness is often described as being true.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Can true imply reliability?
Yes, something or someone reliable may be described as true.
Aimie Carlson
Oct 07, 2023
Can true describe a pathway?
Yes, indicating it's straight or directly aligned.
Janet White
Oct 07, 2023
Does true refer to morality?
Not directly, it’s more about factuality or faithfulness.
Harlon Moss
Oct 07, 2023
Can pure imply sincerity?
Yes, e.g., pure intentions mean sincere, unadulterated motives.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
Is pure synonymous with innocent?
In some contexts, yes, describing moral purity or naivety.
Harlon Moss
Oct 07, 2023
Is true synonymous with correct?
Often yes, especially regarding factual accuracy.
Sawaira Riaz
Oct 07, 2023
About Author
Written by
Sawaira RiazSawaira is a dedicated content editor at difference.wiki, where she meticulously refines articles to ensure clarity and accuracy. With a keen eye for detail, she upholds the site's commitment to delivering insightful and precise content.
Edited by
Sumera SaeedSumera is an experienced content writer and editor with a niche in comparative analysis. At Diffeence Wiki, she crafts clear and unbiased comparisons to guide readers in making informed decisions. With a dedication to thorough research and quality, Sumera's work stands out in the digital realm. Off the clock, she enjoys reading and exploring diverse cultures.
