virginal

1 of 2

adjective

vir·​gin·​al ˈvər-jə-nᵊl 

ˈvərj-nəl

1

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a virgin or virginity

especially : pure, chaste

a virginal young girl

2

: pristine, unsullied

a virginal snowfall

virginally adverb

virginal

2 of 2

noun

: a small rectangular spinet having no legs and only one wire to a note and popular in the 16th and 17th centuries

—often used in plural

called also pair of virginals

virginalist

ˈvər-jə-nᵊl-ist 

ˈvərj-nə-list

noun

Synonyms

Adjective

• brand-new
• fresh
• mint
• pristine
• span-new
• virgin

Examples of virginal in a Sentence

Adjective

The land is still in its virginal state.

one of the state's few remaining tracts of virginal prairie

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

Depp goes beyond Ellen’s virginal purity to complicate our understanding of this character’s relationship to darkness — how she is at once disturbed by and deeply intimate with it. —David Rooney, The Hollywood Reporter, 5 Dec. 2024

The film treats Ryder’s Beth as the evil hag witch who the virginal hard worker Nina has to beat to achieve her dreams, and Ryder plays that role with relish and gusto. —Roxana Hadadi, Vulture, 6 Sep. 2024

Noun

Many of the clinics that provide hymenoplasty also offer virginity testing, an examination of the genitalia that claims to determine the virginal (or otherwise) status of a woman. —Neda Taghinejadi, Wired, 13 Feb. 2022

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from Latin virginalis of a virgin, from virgin-, virgo

First Known Use

Adjective

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Noun

1530, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

virginal

1 of 2 adjective

vir·​gin·​al ˈvər-jən-ᵊl 

ˈvərj-nəl

: of, relating to, characteristic of, or suitable for a virgin

especially : chaste sense 1

virginally

-ē

adverb

virginal

2 of 2 noun

: a musical instrument resembling a small piano with no legs

Medical Definition

virginal

adjective

vir·​gin·​al ˈvər-jən-ᵊl, ˈvərj-nəl 

: of, relating to, or characteristic of a virgin or virginity