puritanical
adjective
pu·ri·tan·i·cal
ˌpyu̇r-ə-ˈta-ni-kəl 
1
: of, relating to, or characterized by a rigid morality
2
: puritan
Synonyms
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
Horst was a bon vivant, Huene a puritanical aesthete.
—
Christian House, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024
But there was a strong backlash against #MeToo, which was dismissed as a puritanical witch-hunt by the likes of Catherine Deneuve – and the same thing is happening again.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 7 Jan. 2024
In puritanical America, the taboo lingers more than in England.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
On the Hollywood front, filmmakers had to obey the puritanical mandates of the Hays Code, its instructions against depicting interracial romance curtailing meatier opportunities for performers of colour.
—Hazlitt, 29 Nov. 2023
Shutterstock file Britain has always had its own particular brand of risque humor, often exporting it to the States, where stars like Brand, who had a brief stint in Hollywood movies, shocked its traditionally more puritanical audiences.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 23 Sep. 2023
The British equivalent—cumbersome, puritanical, wet-weather appropriate—of Brazil’s toe-bearing thongs, Paltrow must like the feeling of rubber against her soles when the mercury rises.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2023
Paul Reubens was a casualty of America’s repressive, puritanical patriarchy, which rewards violence and condemns sexuality.
—Nicholas Bell, Spin, 7 Aug. 2023
Europeans can no longer snicker about the American puritanical streak, the old litmus test for our politicians.
—Nina Burleigh, The New Republic, 1 Aug. 2023
Christian House, CNN, 7 Feb. 2024
But there was a strong backlash against #MeToo, which was dismissed as a puritanical witch-hunt by the likes of Catherine Deneuve – and the same thing is happening again.
—The Week Uk, theweek, 7 Jan. 2024
In puritanical America, the taboo lingers more than in England.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 21 Dec. 2023
On the Hollywood front, filmmakers had to obey the puritanical mandates of the Hays Code, its instructions against depicting interracial romance curtailing meatier opportunities for performers of colour.
—Hazlitt, 29 Nov. 2023
Shutterstock file Britain has always had its own particular brand of risque humor, often exporting it to the States, where stars like Brand, who had a brief stint in Hollywood movies, shocked its traditionally more puritanical audiences.
—Alexander Smith, NBC News, 23 Sep. 2023
The British equivalent—cumbersome, puritanical, wet-weather appropriate—of Brazil’s toe-bearing thongs, Paltrow must like the feeling of rubber against her soles when the mercury rises.
—Daniel Rodgers, Vogue, 22 Aug. 2023
Paul Reubens was a casualty of America’s repressive, puritanical patriarchy, which rewards violence and condemns sexuality.
—Nicholas Bell, Spin, 7 Aug. 2023
Europeans can no longer snicker about the American puritanical streak, the old litmus test for our politicians.
—Nina Burleigh, The New Republic, 1 Aug. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'puritanical.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near puritanical
Cite this Entry
“Puritanical.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/puritanical. Accessed 19 Apr. 2024.
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