PURITANICAL Synonyms: 43 Similar and Opposite Words

puritanical

adjective

ˌpyu̇r-ə-ˈta-ni-kəl

Definition of puritanical

as in Victorian

given to or marked by very conservative standards regarding personal behavior or morals some of the state laws concerning sexual behavior are vestiges of a more puritanical time and are rarely, if ever, enforced

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Recent Examples of puritanical 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 There were also unanticipated consequences in Saudi Arabia, where the monarchy used the great oil wealth created to promote a puritanical, fundamentalist version of Islam. — The Week Uk, TheWeek, 23 May 2026 When the original writer walked off, Spiegel connected Lean with playwright Robert Bolt, an important collaborator who, like the director, was the product of a puritanical childhood, during which he was considered the dunce of the family. — David Rooney, HollywoodReporter, 27 May 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 See All Example Sentences for puritanical

Recent Examples of Synonyms for puritanical

Adjective

The Sherlock Holmes series adds a touch of Victorian charm with rich wood paneling, brass accents, and cozy reading nooks perfect for sleuthing through your own novels.

— Elizabeth Fogarty, Better Homes & Gardens, 23 Aug. 2025
In the 2001 episode shot above Times Square, the poet Michael Stipe sits regal in a Victorian skirt and peppers Automatic for the People and Reveal songs with a rant about George Bush’s nuclear energy policy.

— Brittany Allen, Literary Hub, 22 Aug. 2025

Definition of Victorian

Adjective

Cross-dressing was prohibited, as were speeches that mocked or questioned the party’s prudish, pro-family, heteronormative views on gender and sexuality; traditional German culture was to be celebrated, not mocked.

— Tim Brinkhof, JSTOR Daily, 1 Apr. 2026
Statistics like these have become part of a discussion about whether the culture is growing prudish and puritanical.

— Faith Hill, The Atlantic, 13 Jan. 2026

Definition of prudish

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puritan

puritanical

puritanism

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“Puritanical.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/puritanical. Accessed 8 Jul. 2026.

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Synonyms of puritanical

adjective

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