puritanical

American  

[pyoor-i-tan-i-kuhl] / ˌpyʊər ɪˈtæn ɪ kəl /

Often puritanic

adjective

1. very strict in moral or religious matters, often excessively so; rigidly austere.

2. Sometimes Puritanical of, relating to, or characteristic of Puritans or Puritanism.

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puritanical British  

/ ˌpjʊərɪˈtænɪkəl /

adjective

1. derogatory strict in moral or religious outlook, esp in shunning sensual pleasures

2. (sometimes capital) of or relating to a puritan or the Puritans

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Other Word Forms

• puritanically
  adverb
• puritanicalness
  noun
• unpuritanic
  adjective
• unpuritanical
  adjective
• unpuritanically
  adverb

Etymology

Origin of puritanical

First recorded in 1600–10; Puritan + -ical

Explanation

Strict, straight laced, and unsmiling, someone who is puritanical follows moral or religious rules to the letter. Describing someone as puritanical is usually a bit of a criticism, since the word implies that the person is not just religious, but overly rigid in his or her beliefs and not a lot of fun to be around. It stems from the word "Puritan," a believer in the branch of Protestantism that objected to some practices of the Church of England. Its root, in turn, is thought to be purity, which is what puritanical people seek when they stick to the rules.

Example Sentences

Specifically, Kacsmaryk invoked the Comstock Act of 1873, a notorious law that enabled mass censorship of publications that questioned Puritanical views of sex and gender relations, including early feminist literature.

From Slate • Sep. 22, 2023

And it was possible to be accused of witchcraft for breaking the Puritanical sumptuary laws and “sadd colors” dress code.

From New York Times • Oct. 20, 2021

“The cranky Puritanical grandmother is not seen as attractive to young people.”

From The Guardian • Mar. 6, 2020

For all their insufferable righteousness, those Puritanical standards offered a heavy red curtain to push aside.

From Washington Post • Dec. 16, 2019

A longer residence in Italy might have given him a more liberal culture and a spiritual philosophy generous without being pagan, pure without being Puritanical.

From The Circus, and Other Essays and Fugitive Pieces by Kilmer, Joyce

Related Words

• prudish
• rigid