prudishness

as in puritanism
a tendency to care a great deal about seemly behavior and morals especially in sexual matters the prudishness of the people of the Victorian era was a hindrance to the dissemination of some basic information on human health and hygiene

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Example Sentences

Recent Examples of Synonyms for prudishness
Noun
  • Puritanism is now expressing itself tragically in those who were subject to puritanism, the youth.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Nov. 2024
  • Inevitably, puritanism is going to come out and come back and go away.
    Ryan Lattanzio, IndieWire, 27 Nov. 2024
Noun
  • The true villain is Herod, who, in his hypocritical mixture of slobbering lust and grandstanding moralism, is a model man of power.
    Alex Ross, New Yorker, 19 May 2025
  • In sport as in war and education, there was a moralism and fundamental masculinity associated with the band ensemble.
    The Editors, JSTOR Daily, 24 Apr. 2025
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

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“Prudishness.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/prudishness. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

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