puritan

1 of 2

noun

pu·​ri·​tan ˈpyu̇r-ə-tən 

1

Puritan : 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

puritan

2 of 2

adjective

variants often Puritan

: of or relating to puritans, the Puritans, or puritanism

Synonyms of puritan

Noun

• moralist
• prude
• moralizer
• bluenose

Examples of puritan in a Sentence

Noun

Some of the town's puritans still maintain that sex education has no place in the schools.

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

The beat-bread-and-fry blueprint is so well-established that even a dab of mustard is a dicey proposition among pork puritans. — Bradley Hohulin, IndyStar, 10 Mar. 2025

Naysayers and scene puritans are too late to tear down Turnstile; the Baltimore band heard it all before its third album even dropped anyway. — Pitchfork, 1 Oct. 2024

Adjective

Before God, Puritan preachers taught, all human callings, all useful work, is equal. — Wyatt Williams, Harpers Magazine, 2 June 2026

Even somewhat puritan Massachusetts is giving soccer fans more time to drink during the tournament. — Joanna Slater, Washington Post, 9 June 2026

Word History

Etymology

Noun

probably from Late Latin puritas purity

First Known Use

Noun

1572, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Adjective

1581, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

puritan

noun

pu·​ri·​tan

ˈpyu̇r-ət-ᵊn

1

capitalized : a member of a 16th and 17th century Protestant group in England and New England opposing many customs of the Church of England

2

: one who practices or preaches a stricter moral code than is generally followed

puritan adjective often capitalized

puritanical

ˌpyu̇r-ə-ˈtan-i-kəl

adjective

puritanism

ˈpyu̇r-ət-ᵊn-ˌiz-əm

noun often capitalized