virginal

adjective

ˈvər-jə-nᵊl How to pronounce virginal (audio)
Definition of virginalnext
1
as in pristine
being in an original and unused or unspoiled state one of the state's few remaining tracts of virginal prairie

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unmarried
never having had sexual relations a virginal girl who would not permit any liberties to be taken with her body

Synonyms & Similar Words
3
as in pure
free from any trace of the coarse or indecent the romance between the young boy and girl is portrayed with virginal innocence that is touching in this day and age

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of virginal Emily Brontë’s 1847 novel is a slow read with an out-of-time atmosphere, really one of the most virginal and repressed romance stories of all time. — Anna Gaca, Pitchfork, 20 Feb. 2026 Our idols were allowed to either be good girls—militantly wholesome and seemingly virginal—or train wrecks, unmoored and wild, and thus subjected to a litany of bullying and ridicule for their actions. — Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 17 Feb. 2026 Someone with the virginal purity of a political outsider and the intrinsic capability of an insider who’s spent decades cutting deals and keeping the government wheels spinning. — Mark Z. Barabak, Mercury News, 7 Jan. 2026 Official portraits projected her as a modern iteration of 19th-century royal mothers—soft, demure, virginal. — Air Mail, 10 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for virginal
Recent Examples of Synonyms for virginal
  1. pristine
  2. unmarried
  3. pure
  4. fresh
  5. virgin
  6. immaculate
  7. maiden
  8. chaste
Adjective
  • Winding through miles of pristine farmland and countryside will be more than 300 high-voltage steel towers with an average height of 145 feet, the height of a 14-story building.
    — Chris Roemer, Baltimore Sun, 20 Aug. 2026
  • The roads, repaved every four years for the inauguration, were of pristine quality.
    — Adam Kilgore, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of pristine
Adjective
  • This relaxation of the rules thus allows certain distant male relatives who are over 15 years old and unmarried to rejoin the imperial family.
    — Séraphine Roger, Vanity Fair, 26 Aug. 2026
  • His uncle told the Indian Express Singh was unmarried and planned to visit his family back in India next year.
    — Rebecca White, New York Daily News, 23 Aug. 2026
Definition of unmarried
Adjective
  • Over time, no existing civilization has remained ethnically or culturally pure or set in the same borders.
    — Leonard A. Schuette, Foreign Affairs, 25 Aug. 2026
  • There’s nothing slavishly authentic here, but the recipes’ bones are pure Mexico.
    — Scott Hocker, TheWeek, 25 Aug. 2026
Definition of pure
Adjective
  • Using a microplane, grate some fresh Parmigiano Reggiano over the top of the salad.
    — ABC News, ABC News, 24 Aug. 2026
  • Videos on social media published last week showed empty markets in Tehran and Karaj, with sellers complaining that their fresh produce is not being bought.
    — Leila Gharagozlou, CNN Money, 24 Aug. 2026
Definition of fresh
Adjective
  • One of the world’s largest paper and packaging producers has warned investors that climate stress, drought, pests and biodiversity loss threaten the healthy forests on which its virgin fiber supply depends.
    — Kari Stoever, Footwear News, 26 Aug. 2026
  • That’s a lot of virgin oak in the mix, which adds an intensity of flavor compared to used barrels, and each type of wood is meant to bring different notes to the palate.
    — Jonah Flicker, Robb Report, 16 Aug. 2026
Definition of virgin
Adjective
  • An immaculate natural setting, meticulous interior design, simple pleasures such as a complete sense of privacy, and impeccable service are just some of the highlights.
    — Condé Nast, Condé Nast Traveler, 20 Aug. 2026
  • Cage plays Roy, a gifted con artist with obsessive-compulsive disorder whose tics, phobias and elaborate rituals have turned his immaculate home into a fortress against the world.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of immaculate
Adjective
  • All eyes were on Brooks’ maiden voyage on his first arena tour in a decade.
    — Heather Bushman, USA Today, 21 Aug. 2026
  • Perhaps Wilkinson’s two-inning maiden voyage was shorter than his cheering section would have liked.
    — Andrew Baggarly, New York Times, 20 Aug. 2026
Definition of maiden
Adjective
  • Then there was the rather chaste kiss on Evans’s show late last year.
    — Sam Stone, Bon Appetit Magazine, 26 June 2026
  • Deadhead your chaste tree in late winter to promote flowering in the spring and summer months.
    — Steve Bender, Southern Living, 19 May 2026
Definition of chaste

Browse Nearby Words

virgin
virginal
virginity
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Cite this Entry

“Virginal.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/virginal. Accessed 28 Aug. 2026.

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More from Merriam-Webster on virginal

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about virginal

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