puritanical
Puritanical (adj) means Excessively strict about morality, especially regarding pleasure, sex, or entertainment. Example: “The school's puritanical dress code banned even mild makeup.”
How to Use Puritanical
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishOverly strict or disapproving about morals and pleasure, often used critically.
Almost always used disapprovingly, implying the strictness is excessive or old-fashioned.
Word Forms
more puritanical comparative, puritanicals plural, most puritanical superlative
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The school's _____ dress code banned even mild makeup.
Etymology
From puritanic (relating to the Puritans) plus the adjective suffix -al.
Rhymes for puritanical
See all rhymes for puritanical →Frequently Asked Questions
What does “puritanical” mean?
The word “puritanical” means excessively strict about morality, especially regarding pleasure, sex, or entertainment. In plain terms, overly strict or disapproving about morals and pleasure, often used critically.
How do you pronounce “puritanical”?
“Puritanical” is pronounced pyoorr-ih-TAN-ih-kuhl (/pjɚ.ɪˈtæn.ɪ.kl̩/ in IPA).
How do you use “puritanical” in a sentence?
Here is “puritanical” used in a sentence: “The school's puritanical dress code banned even mild makeup.”
What part of speech is “puritanical”?
“Puritanical” is an adjective.
Where does the word “puritanical” come from?
The word “puritanical” comes from Latin. From puritanic (relating to the Puritans) plus the adjective suffix -al.
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