Puritans

Cultural  

1. A group of radical English Protestants that arose in the late sixteenth century and became a major force in England during the seventeenth century. Puritans wanted to “purify” the Church of England by eliminating traces of its origins in the Roman Catholic Church. In addition, they urged a strict moral code and placed a high value on hard work (see work ethic). After the execution of King Charles I in 1649, they controlled the new government, the Commonwealth. Oliver Cromwell, who became leader of the Commonwealth, is the best-known Puritan.

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The words puritan and puritanical have come to suggest a zeal for keeping people from enjoying themselves.

Many Puritans, persecuted in their homeland, came to America in the 1620s and 1630s, settling colonies that eventually became Massachusetts. (See Pilgrims and Plymouth Colony.)

Example Sentences

The opening chorus of Act 2, in which the Puritans grieve over Elvira’s madness, features a woman giving birth to a stillborn baby in full view of the community.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

The meeting house grows progressively more dilapidated, and the costumes get shabbier, indicating that things aren’t going well for the Puritans.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 2, 2026

The Puritans were obsessed with that story; they couldn't get enough.

From Salon • May 26, 2025

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

From BBC • May 24, 2025

Growing up, I was always tickled by this raffish personal connection to history: part of the Puritans, but not actually puritanical.

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann