Definition and pronunciation
puritanical /ˌpjʊrɪˈtænɪkəl/ — adjective: having or displaying very strict moral or religious principles, often disapproving of pleasure, fun, or sexuality.
Easy explanation
If someone is called puritanical, it means they are extremely strict about what they see as right or wrong. They may dislike fun, pleasure, or sexual freedom, insisting instead on rigid moral behavior. The word comes from the Puritans, a religious group from 16th–17th century England known for strict moral codes.
Grammatical formation
- Adjective: puritanical.
- Noun: puritan (a strict moralist, originally religious).
- Noun (quality): puritanicalness, puritanism.
- Adverb: puritanically.
Meanings and nuances
- Moral strictness — harshly judging behavior, especially around sex and pleasure.
- Religious origin — tied to Christian Puritans’ strict lifestyle.
- Negative tone — often used mockingly to mean uptight, overly rigid, or joyless.
With prepositions and variants
- puritanical about sex/intimacy: “He’s puritanical about relationships.”
- puritanical in outlook: “She is puritanical in dress and manners.”
Common collocations
puritanical views, puritanical attitude, puritanical society, puritanical upbringing, puritanical morality, puritanical laws
Idioms and neighboring expressions
- “holier-than-thou” — self-righteous and judgmental
- “strait-laced” — overly strict in morals
- “old-fashioned morality”
- “moral police”
Word comparisons
- puritanical vs prudish: prudish = shocked by sex; puritanical = broader, covering all pleasures.
- puritanical vs strait-laced: both strict; strait-laced = manners and morals, puritanical = extreme, religiously rooted.
- puritanical vs conservative: conservative = traditional; puritanical = extremely rigid.
- puritanical vs virtuous: virtuous = morally good; puritanical = excessively strict.
Real-life examples
- “The government’s puritanical laws banned alcohol.”
- “Her puritanical upbringing discouraged dancing and parties.”
- “Victorian society was seen as puritanical about sex.”
- “He took a puritanical view of entertainment.”
- “Critics called the film industry’s censorship puritanical.”
Sample sentences
- “She grew up in a puritanical household.”
- “His puritanical views made him unpopular.”
- “They rejected puritanical attitudes toward fashion.”
- “Victorian England was puritanical in sexuality.”
- “He enforced puritanical discipline at school.”
- “The law reflects puritanical traditions.”
- “A puritanical mindset often represses pleasure.”
- “Her puritanical father banned music at home.”
- “Puritanical rules controlled women’s behavior.”
- “The group condemned modern art as against their puritanical values.”
Synonyms
strait-laced, prudish, uptight, rigid, strict, austere, moralistic, severe, repressive, censorious
Antonyms
liberal, permissive, free-spirited, open-minded, tolerant, indulgent, relaxed, uninhibited
Related terms
prudish, strait-laced, modesty, chastity, morality, repression, inhibition, conservatism, censorship
Connection to sexuality
Yes. Puritanical is strongly linked to sexuality, as it often describes strict, repressive attitudes toward sexual freedom, eroticism, or pleasure. It is used critically to suggest someone or a culture is too strict about sex and morality.
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