prudery

[ proo-duh-ree ]
See synonyms for prudery on Thesaurus.com
noun,plural prud·er·ies for 2.
  1. excessive propriety or modesty in speech, conduct, etc.

  2. pruderies, prudish actions, phrases, or words.

Origin of prudery

1
From the French word pruderie, dating back to 1700–10. See prude, -ery

Words Nearby prudery

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2024

How to use prudery in a sentence

  • "Madeleine" ought to do something to clear away the mist in minds which confuse prudery and virtue.

    Seeing Things at Night | Heywood Broun
  • When our women are better educated, there will be less prudery and more real modesty.

    The Education of American Girls | Anna Callender Brackett
  • La Belle Stuart was one par excellence; in her the hypocrisy of prudery was double-distilled.

    Court Beauties of Old Whitehall | W. R. H. Trowbridge