Priggeries

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

  1. Behaviors marked by self-righteousness and prudishness; acts of affected moral superiority; instances of overly proper or sanctimonious conduct
  2. Actions characterized by sanctimoniousness and affected moral strictness; expressions of superior virtue in a hypocritical manner; demonstrations of prudish or pompous demeanor
  3. Conduct displaying excessive or hypocritical piety; manifestations of pompous self-righteous attitudes; performances of rigid or overly proper moral posturing

Etymology: The term "priggeries" is a plural noun derived from the singular "priggery," which itself stems from the verb "prig." The verb "prig" has been used since the late 16th century, originally meaning "to steal" or "to pilfer," often with a connotation of petty thievery or sly, sneaky behavior. Over time, "prig" evolved to describe someone who is not just a thief but also self-righteous, morally superior, or excessively proper in an irritating way. This shift in meaning helped spawn the noun "priggery," which captures the quality or behavior of a prig—that is, the state or practice of being overly punctilious, sanctimonious, or pompously respectable. The earliest recorded usages of "priggery" appear in the 18th century, often in satirical or moralistic writings where authors mocked individuals who displayed a holier-than-thou attitude. The suffix "-ery," common in English, is used here to form nouns that denote a practice, behavior, or characteristic, which fits well with the somewhat pejorative nature of the word. "Priggeries," as the plural form, would thus refer to multiple instances or examples of such conduct—various acts of self-righteousness, moralizing, or petty sanctimony. The word carries a somewhat archaic or literary flavor today, often invoked to criticize affectation, hypocrisy, or an irritatingly superior demeanor. The root "prig" itself is of uncertain origin, but it likely arose in English slang, possibly connected to the notion of "pricking" or "picking" pockets, emphasizing the sly, sneaky aspect of the behavior. Over centuries, the focus shifted away from theft to a broader social critique of manners and attitudes, which is preserved in the term "priggery."

Synonyms: self-righteousness, sanctimoniousness, hypocrisy, prudery, moralism

Antonyms: humility, modesty, tolerance, leniency, indifference