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

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

Perhaps because of its puritanical roots, any place that serves alcohol in Boston also has to have a full menu—so there aren’t straight-up bars here or anywhere else. —Shannon McMahon, Condé Nast Traveler, 17 June 2026

There’s more than a tinge of folk horror to this lingering mystery, which brings to mind the 1973 genre landmark The Wicker Man, in which a puritanical police officer travels to a remote island community that’s reverted to old pagan ways. —Keith Phipps, Vulture, 15 June 2026

There was something puritanical and stunted in all of this critical handwringing. —Mark Rozzo, Vanity Fair, 12 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