What does untainted mean?
Untainted means free from anything that would corrupt, compromise, contaminate, or spoil something. Its most common use is figurative: an untainted reputation, record, or character is one that has not been damaged by scandal, dishonesty, or moral compromise. The literal sense describes water, food, land, or other materials that remain uncontaminated. The word carries a strong, elevated tone and suggests not just ordinary cleanliness but complete freedom from harmful influence. It is especially appropriate when emphasizing integrity, purity, or the absence of corruption, although its formality can make it sound emphatic in everyday conversation. Related words such as pure, clean, unsullied, and spotless share this affirmative sense, while tainted expresses the opposite condition.
adjectiveFree from taint, corruption, or harmful influence; pure, clean, or unsullied.
- Free from corruption, compromising influence, or moral impurity.
- Free from contamination, damage, or spoilage.
"Despite years in public office, she has maintained an untainted reputation."
"Despite years in public office, she has maintained an untainted reputation."
"The spring remained untainted by industrial pollution."
Untainted turns absence into a virtue: it describes something not merely clean, but untouched by corruption.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does untainted come from?
Untainted was formed by adding the adjective-forming suffix -ed to untaint. Untaint itself is based on taint, an older word for a spot, influence, or quality that discredits or spoils something. The related forms taint, tainted, and tainting preserve this same semantic field of marking, contamination, and moral compromise.
How untainted is actually used
Literary and formal-leaning. It is often used figuratively for reputations, motives, records, and relationships, while the literal sense applies to substances, environments, and natural resources.
Easily confused with untainted
Tainted means affected by corruption, contamination, or harmful influence, whereas untainted means free from such effects.