Puritan

American  

[pyoor-i-tn] / ˈpyʊər ɪ 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.

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adjective

1. of or relating to the Puritans.

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

Puritan ¹ British  

/ 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

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adjective

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

puritan ² British  

/ ˈpjʊərɪtən /

noun

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

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adjective

1. characteristic of a puritan

Other Word Forms

• Puritanism noun
• anti-Puritan noun
• antipuritan noun
• pro-Puritan noun
• propuritan noun
• puritanism noun
• puritanlike adjective
• puritanly adverb
• unpuritan adjective

Etymology

Origin of Puritan

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

Example Sentences

Oatmeal, the once-humble slop of Puritans and heart-healthy dads, now served in ribbed ceramic bowls under a snowfall of hemp hearts and bee pollen.

From Salon

As he arrived to court on Friday, Brand was seen clutching a copy of “The Valley of Vision,” a collection of Puritan prayers.

From Los Angeles Times

But I felt it was most important to highlight the range of Puritan credos she discusses, which best convey the full power of her argument.

From Salon

"It's kind of funny. It's almost as if the old American Puritans and their craziness is resurfacing."

From BBC

The philosophical descendants of the Puritans believed the call to freedom that was embedded in the founding was meant for white Christians.

From Salon