puritan

¹pu·ri·tan

noun \ˈpyu̇r-ə-tən\

Definition of PURITAN

1

capitalized : a member of a 16th and 17th century Protestant group in England and New England opposing as unscriptural the ceremonial worship and the prelacy of the Church of England

2

: one who practices or preaches a more rigorous or professedly purer moral code than that which prevails

Examples of PURITAN

1. She's a puritan about sex.
2. <some of the town's puritans still maintain that sex education has no place in the schools>

Origin of PURITAN

probably from Late Latin puritas purity

First Known Use: circa 1567

Related to PURITAN

Synonyms: bluenose, moralist, Mrs. Grundy, nice nelly, prude, wowser [chiefly Australian]

Antonyms: immoralist

Related Words: moralizer; goody-goody, Goody Two-shoes; fuddy-duddy, old maid, prig, spoilsport, stuffed shirt

Near Antonyms: libertarian, libertine; misbehaver

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Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary