rhizoverbBeta
DictionarychasteSexual purity
adjective

chaste

CHAYST/tʃeɪst/

Free from sexual impropriety or excessive ornament.

The affectionate couple remains chaste by choosing not to share a bed.

A compact sequence shows affectionate adult romantic partners choosing not to share a bed, illustrating the abstaining-from-sexual-activity branch of 'chaste': 'abstaining from sexual activity or considered sexually pure.'.
Etymology
chasteLatinclean, pure, morally pure

Latin castus expressed cleanliness and moral purity. In English, that purity was applied particularly to sexual conduct judged permissible by the Church, rather than necessarily requiring complete abstinence.

In context

Shakespeare Network100:48
be thou as chaste as ice, as pure as snow, thou shalt not escape calumny. Get thee to a nunnery, go: farewell.
Hamlet - Kenneth Branagh - Shakespeare - 1992 - Multiple Subtitles - HD Restored Edition - 4K

More examples

  • She vows to stay chaste until her wedding.
  • The gallery's chaste interior keeps the focus on the paintings.
  • She favors chaste prose over elaborate descriptions.

Forms

chaste · chaster · chastest

chastity noun — Abstention from sexual activity considered improper.

chastely adverb — In a sexually pure or abstinent manner.

Similar words

celibate
Usually means abstaining from sex entirely, often for religious reasons.
abstinent
Emphasizes refraining from sex rather than judging its moral propriety.