Prig
/prɪɡ/noun
A person who is excessively concerned with propriety, morality, or correctness.
Did you know?In sixteenth-century English, prig could mean “thief” or “petty thief,” while its modern sense developed later for a self-righteously precise person.
Etymological Timeline
16th Century
English
prig
“A thief or petty thief, in criminal slang; the ultimate origin is uncertain.”
Late 16th Century
English
prig
“A person regarded as excessively precise, affected, or self-important.”
18th Century
English
prig
“A self-righteous or censorious person, especially one displaying rigid propriety.”
Modern English
English
prig
“A smugly moralistic or overly proper person.”