straitlaced

adjective

strait·​laced ˈstrāt-ˈlāst 

variants or straightlaced

1

: excessively strict in manners, morals, or opinion

2

: wearing or having a bodice or stays tightly laced

straitlacedly

ˈstrāt-ˈlā-səd-lē 

-ˈlāst-lē

adverb

straitlacedness

ˈstrāt-ˈlās(t)-nəs

-ˈlā-səd-nəs 

noun

Synonyms

• puritanical
• prudish
• Victorian
• prim

Examples of straitlaced in a Sentence

a very straitlaced old lady who believed that cleavage was something that should be shown by rock crystals, not respectable women

Recent Examples on the Web

The first one is a little more straitlaced and straightforward. —Tim Grierson, Vulture, 11 July 2025

Love focuses on two colleagues at an Oslo hospital — Marianne, a straight (and straitlaced) doctor, and Tor, a gay male nurse. —Jill Goldsmith, Deadline, 13 June 2025

The show found its humor in contrasting the more straitlaced nature of the teens with Moore’s unique and occasionally off-the-wall, free-spirited advice. —James Mercadante, EW.com, 6 May 2025

Ruby is a mess — chaos, really — whereas AJ is a bit more straitlaced, and there’s a stiff physicality to her. —Manuel Betancourt, Los Angeles Times, 19 Dec. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1554, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

straitlaced

adjective

strait·​laced

variants or straightlaced

ˈstrāt-ˈlāst 

: very strict or proper in actions, beliefs, or point of view