puritanical
puritanical Lexical Profile
puritanical Game Scores & Validity
• adjective
Practicing or affecting strict, rigid religious or moral behavior, especially by condemning pleasure and self-indulgence.
"His puritanical upbringing made him uncomfortable with even mild forms of celebration and leisure."
Relating to or characteristic of the historical Puritans or their doctrines.
"The historian examined the puritanical sermons that shaped early colonial legislation in New England."
Word Nuance & Usage
When capitalized as "Puritan" or "Puritanical," the word refers objectively to the historical 16th- and 17th-century Protestant movement; in lowercase, "puritanical" is almost always used disapprovingly to criticize excessive moral rigidity or joylessness.
• Rhymes for puritanical
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the late 16th century from "Puritan" (from Late Latin puritas, meaning "purity") plus the suffix "-ical," originally used as a derogatory term for English Protestants who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices.