morally rigorous and strict; "blue laws"; "the puritan work ethic"; "puritanic distaste for alcohol"; "she was anything but puritanical in her behavior"
disapproval If you describe someone as puritanical, you mean that they have very strict moral principles, and often try to make other people behave in a more moral way. He has a puritanical attitude towards sex. very strict about moral matters, especially sex - used in order to show disapproval