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.
(lowercase) a person who is strict in moral or religious matters, often excessively so.
of or relating to the Puritans.
(lowercase) of, relating to, or characteristic of a moral puritan; puritanical.
If your brother calls you a puritan, then he’s saying you’re very moral — possibly too moral. He’s implying that you’re intolerant and look down on others who don’t have your standards. The Puritans were a group of English Protestants that formed in the 16th century to bring about religious reform. The Puritans wanted to “purify” the church by following intensely strict religious principles, which earned them the name Puritan. Puritan can still refer to the religious group — in that case it’ll have a capital “P” — but nowadays you’re more likely to hear it used to describe someone who follows a strict moral code and shuns almost all pleasures.
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Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
While she is correct that the separatists who traveled on the Mayflower in 1620 eschewed the pejorative term Puritan, she errantly suggests that they called themselves Pilgrims.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
The northern region, which Woodard calls "Yankeeland", is rooted in the early Puritan settlers who fled religious persecution in Europe, with later additions of Germans and Scandinavian settlers helping to solidify a pluralistic outlook.
From BBC ● Jul. 4, 2026
“For nearly 250 years, Mary has played a distinct role in our great American story,” Trump declared, offering a brief Catholic history of the United States that would’ve made this country’s Puritan forefathers retch.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 11, 2025
It was branded as heretical by Puritan authorities.
From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2025
There was no holiday in this Puritan town, no feasting, no gifts.
From "The Witch of Blackbird Pond" by Elizabeth George Speare
Again, I’m not a puritan calling for prohibition.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 7, 2026
He later emigrated to the US, along with other puritan pilgrims, perhaps as a result of the catholic practices being reintroduced by King Charles I, Mr Butt said.
From BBC ● Jan. 19, 2025
I’m no longer the puritan, but I understand where it comes from.
From Los Angeles Times ● Dec. 6, 2024
I am not a gambling puritan by any stretch.
From Slate ● May 1, 2024
But then I figured, Hey wait a minute, what law is there that says you have to be the token puritan of the movie business?
From "The Princess Bride" by William Goldman
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
