Meaning & use
Prudery
Last updated
Excessive or exaggerated modesty, propriety, or primness, especially concerning sexual or moral matters.
See it in a sentence
Critics accused the film board of prudery for banning the scene.
Her strict prudery made her uncomfortable even discussing the topic at dinner.
A note on using this word
Derived from "prude," a word borrowed from French, where it originally meant a virtuous or modest woman before taking on its more critical, negative connotation in English.
Words with a similar meaning
primnesspriggishnesspuritanism
Choose a synonym to suit the sentence. Meanings can overlap without being identical.
Words with an opposite meaning
permissivenesslooseness
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “Prudery”, then compare your use with the examples above.
Your draft stays on this page and is not sent anywhere.