as in Victorian
given to or marked by very conservative standards regarding personal behavior or morals
some of the state laws concerning sexual behavior are vestiges of a more puritanical time and are rarely, if ever, enforced
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Recent Examples of puritanical
But Strummer always had a puritanical zeal about his punk mission and a terror of getting corrupted by fame.
—
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
This voyeurism will later be held against Helm during the puritanical trend (big misunderstanding).
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Ed’s mother was said to be a fanatically puritanical figure who isolated him from others, convinced the rest of society was evil.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Indeed, one of the reasons some men left the League was their perception that the institution treated women too preciously and that the school administration labored to cultivate a puritanical atmosphere in a place that was by nature loose and raucous.
—Anne Halsey, JSTOR Daily, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puritanical
Rob Sheffield, Rolling Stone, 9 Nov. 2025
This voyeurism will later be held against Helm during the puritanical trend (big misunderstanding).
—Literary Hub, 3 Nov. 2025
Ed’s mother was said to be a fanatically puritanical figure who isolated him from others, convinced the rest of society was evil.
—Emily Blackwood, PEOPLE, 7 Oct. 2025
Indeed, one of the reasons some men left the League was their perception that the institution treated women too preciously and that the school administration labored to cultivate a puritanical atmosphere in a place that was by nature loose and raucous.
—Anne Halsey, JSTOR Daily, 6 Aug. 2025
See All Example Sentences for puritanical
Recent Examples of Synonyms for puritanical
Adjective
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The Sherlock Holmes series adds a touch of Victorian charm with rich wood paneling, brass accents, and cozy reading nooks perfect for sleuthing through your own novels.—
Elizabeth Fogarty,
Better Homes & Gardens,
23 Aug. 2025
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In the 2001 episode shot above Times Square, the poet Michael Stipe sits regal in a Victorian skirt and peppers Automatic for the People and Reveal songs with a rant about George Bush’s nuclear energy policy.—
Brittany Allen,
Literary Hub,
22 Aug. 2025
Adjective
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Statistics like these have become part of a discussion about whether the culture is growing prudish and puritanical.—
Faith Hill,
The Atlantic,
13 Jan. 2026
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My favorite stereotype is the one where Germans think Americans are prudish.—
Deborah Treisman,
New Yorker,
21 Dec. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Puritanical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puritanical. Accessed 16 Feb. 2026.
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