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

Other Word Forms

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

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

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

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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.

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

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

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Puritans were religious fanatics — the Christian nationalists of the Massachusetts Bay Colony.

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