as in pure
free from any trace of the coarse or indecent
a schoolteacher who dresses with almost vestal modesty while on the job
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Example Sentences
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Recent Examples of vestal
These vestal get-ups are, in fact, the latest in a long line of subversive pop culture interpretations of the lives (and loves) of nuns.
—
Leah Dolan, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
There were papal cloaks styled as trench coats, and vestal robes turned into coveralls, but with a solemn finish that showed respect for both the clothes and the creative congregation that wants to wear them.
—Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Sep. 2022
Souza sets out to reacquaint us with that vanished world, where norms obtained and men were men and words had meaning—where the sun rose on the shrines of our ancestors and six virgins ceaselessly guarded the vestal flame.
—Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, 3 Aug. 2017
Leah Dolan, CNN, 12 Apr. 2024
There were papal cloaks styled as trench coats, and vestal robes turned into coveralls, but with a solemn finish that showed respect for both the clothes and the creative congregation that wants to wear them.
—Harper's BAZAAR, 15 Sep. 2022
Souza sets out to reacquaint us with that vanished world, where norms obtained and men were men and words had meaning—where the sun rose on the shrines of our ancestors and six virgins ceaselessly guarded the vestal flame.
—Katy Waldman, Slate Magazine, 3 Aug. 2017
Recent Examples of Synonyms for vestal
Adjective
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Both of those latter cocktails are pure brightness, while the vanilla from the aged rum and the spice from the bitters in the Old Cuban moves it from poolside to inside as if under a slowly twisting ceiling fan in a smoky room, long narrow beams of light through the wooden shutters.—
Jeremy Repanich,
Robb Report,
6 June 2026
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But maybe more about devotion in its purest form.—
Stephanie Mack,
PEOPLE,
6 June 2026
Adjective
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Deadhead your chaste tree in late winter to promote flowering in the spring and summer months.—
Steve Bender,
Southern Living,
19 May 2026
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Features chaste berry, cramp bark, shatavari root, dandelion root and ginger.—
Michelle Del Rey,
USA Today,
18 May 2026
Adjective
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The immaculate lineup of laminated pastries, like a pandan cream croissant, is similarly finessed.—
Allecia Vermillion,
Bon Appetit Magazine,
26 May 2026
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Andreï Zvyagintsev’s Minotaur, a reworking of Chabrol’s The Unfaithful Wife as an immaculate domestic thriller set against contemporary Russia, took Cannes’ runner-up prize, the Grand Prix.—
Scott Roxborough,
HollywoodReporter,
23 May 2026
Adjective
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Complimentary reef-safe sunscreen dispensers are available to guests property-wide and beach clean-ups are held regularly with guests invited to join.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
4 June 2026
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Both teams have played a clean game so far with eight turnovers apiece.—
Andrew Greif,
NBC news,
4 June 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vestal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vestal. Accessed 11 Jun. 2026.
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