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puritanic

puritanic

9.9
Very strict about how people should behave for religious reasons
  • adjective
  • /ˌpjʊəˈrɪtənɪk/
translation icon : puritano
  • Don't be so puritanic!

Examples

  • The school's puritanic policies forbade even minor displays of affection.

  • His puritanic views made him unpopular among his more liberal friends.

  • She imposed a puritanic set of rules on her household.

  • Her puritanic beliefs often influenced her decisions.

  • Her puritanic views on relationships made it difficult for her to accept casual dating.

  • The puritanic atmosphere of the community led to strict rules against any form of entertainment.

  • He was known for his puritanic lifestyle, avoiding alcohol and keeping a rigorous schedule.

Synonyms

puritanical
vspuritanic
14 8.2

Disapproving of pleasure and very strict about moral behavior

is broader, covering strict moral or religious standards beyond pleasure avoidance
moralistic
vspuritanic
8 7.2

Strict about right and wrong and often judges other people

is about holding strict moral or religious standards rather than only judging
Victorian
vspuritanic
8 8.2

Having very strict old-fashioned ideas about sex and how people should behave

is broader, describing strict moral or religious standards beyond a historical style
prudish
vspuritanic
8 7.1

Easily shocked by sex and strict about modesty

is about strict moral or religious standards in general, not only sexual modesty
straitlaced
vspuritanic
1 8.4

Very strict about manners and morals and disapproving of anything seen as improper

is more about formal moral or religious rules than mere manners
strait-laced
vspuritanic
1 7.8

Very strict about behavior and dress

is focused on strict moral or religious standards rather than social formality
straightlaced
vspuritanic
  • US
1 8.2

Having very strict rules about proper behaviour and dress

is about moral or religious rigor more than conventional social rules
puristic
vspuritanic
8.8

Preferring things to stay separate and refusing any mixing or compromise

is focused on strict moral or religious standards rather than purity in many domains
unpermissive
vspuritanic
9.2

Strict and not willing to allow exceptions

is about internal moral or religious standards, not only enforcing rules

Antonyms

32 4.4

Not strict about rules and punishment

permissive
  • Jargon
14 4.9

Not strict and giving a lot of freedom about what people do

How Strict

rigid
70 4.2
puritanic
9.9
strict
359 3.2
lenient
32 4.4
tolerant
72 3.2

Surface Forms

puritanic positive

Morphology

puritanic = puritan (transparent) = puritan + ic

The adjective is directly formed from the noun 'puritan' with the productive adjectival suffix '-ic', meaning 'relating to or characteristic of Puritans' or 'strictly moral'.

Etymology

Puritanic comes from Puritan, a strict religious group, and that name comes from pure, meaning 'clean'. So, something puritanic is very strict about behavior and wants life to be morally 'clean'.