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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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
-
To restore wage mobility and top-line household revenue, organizations need to unfreeze hiring and transition their AI strategies from pure human substitution to human augmentation.—
Katica Roy,
Fortune,
2 May 2026
-
Consider any positivity that comes from the Oklahoma City series as pure gravy.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
2 May 2026
Adjective
-
The songwriting is so chaste and disembodied that an Old Hollywood censor would have no problem greenlighting it.—
Harry Tafoya,
Pitchfork,
20 Apr. 2026
-
Rue’s comparatively chaste behavior this season — including in scenes with high school love Jules (the always magnetic Hunter Schafer) — feels like a concession to Zendaya’s huge star power and public image.—
Carla Meyer,
San Francisco Chronicle,
8 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Men begetting men is the story, a kind of immaculate cultural reproduction.—
Doreen St. Félix,
New Yorker,
25 Apr. 2026
-
My mom [had] immaculate music taste and [played] me all the greats.—
Adelle Platon,
VIBE.com,
22 Apr. 2026
Adjective
-
Instead, the Knicks got out of it clean.—
C.J. Holmes,
New York Daily News,
7 May 2026
-
Turn the Yamazaki Tower shelves toward the wall for a clean look without the hassle of shoving things into drawers or behind cabinet doors.—
Kate McGregor,
Architectural Digest,
6 May 2026
Cite this Entry
“Vestal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/vestal. Accessed 7 May. 2026.
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