Puritan

[ pyoor-i-tn ]

noun

1. a member of a group of Protestants that arose in the 16th century within the Church of England, demanding the simplification of doctrine and worship, and greater strictness in religious discipline: during part of the 17th century the Puritans became a powerful political party.
2. (lowercase) a person who is strict in moral or religious matters, often excessively so.

adjective

1. of or relating to the Puritans.
2. (lowercase) of, relating to, or characteristic of a moral puritan; puritanical.

Puritan

¹

/ ˈpjʊərɪtən /

noun

1. any of the more extreme English Protestants, most of whom were Calvinists, who wished to purify the Church of England of most of its ceremony and other aspects that they deemed to be Catholic

adjective

1. of, characteristic of, or relating to the Puritans

puritan

²

/ ˈpjʊərɪtən /

noun

1. a person who adheres to strict moral or religious principles, esp one opposed to luxury and sensual enjoyment

adjective

1. characteristic of a puritan

Derived Forms

• ˈPuritanˌism, noun
• ˈpuritanˌism, noun

Other Words From

• pu·ri·tan·like adjective
• pu·ri·tan·ly adverb
• an·ti·pu·ri·tan noun adjective
• an·ti-Pu·ri·tan noun adjective
• pro·pu·ri·tan noun adjective
• pro-Pu·ri·tan noun adjective
• un·pu·ri·tan adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Puritan¹

1540–50; < Late Latin pūrit ( ās ) purity + -an

Word History and Origins

Origin of Puritan¹

C16: from Late Latin pūritās purity

Example Sentences

That was the year Bridget Bishop was ascertained to be a witch by frightened, conformist Puritan religious elders in the Province of Massachusetts Bay.

From Los Angeles Times

Reagan flipped the original meaning of a Biblical phrase from a 17th century Puritan sermon.

From Salon

That complicates the “settler-colonial” paradigm, which applies readily to English Puritans but more ambiguously to Jews.

From Salon

No pity for people who elected a Puritan as their leader, only to find out he's serious about taking away everyone's good time.

From Salon

After a simple shack is built by a couple seeking refuge from Puritan elders, a former British army major, Osgood, plants roots there, determined to establish an apple orchard.

From Los Angeles Times