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Puritanical
Definitions
- 1 Of or pertaining to the Puritans, or to their doctrines and practice.
"The host proposed divers puritanical fancies—nay, once hinted at a head of Cromwell himself; but the hostess overruled all these proposals, and stood firm by the Sun."
- 2 Alternative letter-case form of puritanical. alt-of
"President Upham delivered a lengthy speech which covered the entire history of the Society along with some Puritanical sniffing."
- 3 Precise in observance of legal or religious requirements; strict; overscrupulous; rigid (often used by way of reproach or contempt).
"Mrs. Barrymore is of interest to me. She is a heavy, solid person, very limited, intensely respectable, and inclined to be puritanical. You could hardly conceive a less emotional subject. Yet I have told you how, on the first night here, I heard her sobbing bitterly, and since then I have more than once observed traces of tears upon her face. Some deep sorrow gnaws ever at her heart. Sometimes I wonder if she has a guilty memory which haunts her, and sometimes I suspect Barrymore of being a domestic tyrant."
- 1 morally rigorous and strict wordnet
- 2 exaggeratedly proper wordnet
- 3 of or relating to Puritans or Puritanism wordnet
- 1 One who holds puritanical attitudes.
Etymology
From puritanic + -al.
From puritanic + -al.
See also for "puritanical"
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