puritanical

[ pyoor-i-tan-i-kuhl ]

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.

puritanical

/ 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

Derived Forms

• ˌpuriˈtanicalness, noun
• ˌpuriˈtanically, adverb

Other Words From

• puri·tani·cal·ly adverb
• puri·tani·cal·ness noun
• unpu·ri·tanic adjective
• unpu·ri·tani·cal adjective
• unpu·ri·tani·cal·ly adverb

Word History and Origins

Origin of puritanical¹

First recorded in 1600–10; Puritan + -ical

Example Sentences

As Katharine Hepburn said in the movie, he was kind of puritanical, because those where the times back then.

From Salon

Before each performance, the scene is set by a narrator who speaks in a prim, puritanical accent reminiscent of a bygone era.

From Los Angeles Times

One expert who analysed Edwards said he grew up in a puritanical but hypocritical environment with a father described in court as “monstrous”.

From BBC

The Jesus Fellowship Church, which disbanded in 2019 after the BBC revealed allegations of widespread child abuse, recruited thousands of people to live in close-knit, puritanical communities in Northamptonshire, London and the Midlands.

From BBC

The problem for Trump is that "fun" misogyny is hard to square with abortion bans, which stem from a more puritanical sexism, one which seeks to constrain the sexual expression of both men and women.

From Salon

Related Words

• prudish
• rigid