What does "puritanical" mean?
One who holds puritanical attitudes.
Puritanical
/pjɚ.ɪˈtæn.ɪ.kl̩/ adj, noun
adj, noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: One who holds puritanical attitudes.
- Grammar: puritanical is listed as adj, noun.
- Nearest alternatives: priggish, prudish, abstinent, albigensian.
- Useful contrasts: hedonistic, pretentious, allowing.
- Usage evidence: It's not appropriate for puritanical misanthropic.
How to use "puritanical"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "puritanical" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "puritanical" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "puritanical" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "puritanical" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "puritanical" is acting as adj, noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "priggish" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "puritanical", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 One who holds puritanical attitudes.
Adjective
- 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."
Adjective
- 1 morally rigorous and strict wordnet
- 2 exaggeratedly proper wordnet
- 3 of or relating to Puritans or Puritanism wordnet
Example
"It's not appropriate for puritanical misanthropic."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "puritanical"?
Common synonyms include: priggish, prudish, abstinent, albigensian, anchoritic, ascetic.
How do you use "puritanical" in a sentence?
It's not appropriate for puritanical misanthropic.
How do you pronounce "puritanical"?
Pronounced /pjɚ.ɪˈtæn.ɪ.kl̩/.
Etymology
From puritanic + -al.