puritanical

adjective

pu·​ri·​tan·​i·​cal ˌpyu̇r-ə-ˈta-ni-kəl 

1

: of, relating to, or characterized by a rigid morality

2

: puritan

puritanically

ˌpyu̇r-ə-ˈta-ni-k(ə-)lē 

adverb

Synonyms of puritanical

• Victorian
• prudish

Examples of puritanical in a Sentence

some of the state laws concerning sexual behavior are vestiges of a more puritanical time and are rarely, if ever, enforced

Recent Examples on the Web

With an almost puritanical zeal, Pavese sought to banish rhetoric and image. — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026

Our culture is losing sight of the value of knowledge and literacy, embracing instead ideas that are surface-level, puritanical and uncomplicated. — Mckenna Friedland, The Orlando Sentinel, 28 Aug. 2026

Students marched against the Vietnam War, demanded racial and gender justice, challenged puritanical norms, and torched symbols of establishment power. — Literary Hub, 25 Aug. 2026

She’s been attacked, her puritanical sister has landed from America, and murder is starting to feel less like a paranoid theory than a reasonable working assumption. — Andreas Wiseman, Deadline, 22 June 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1598, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Rhymes for puritanical

• biomechanical
• thermomechanical
• botanical
• brahmanical
• mechanical
• tyrannical
• electromechanical
• panicle