puritan

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noun pu·ri·tan \ 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

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Examples of puritan in a Sentence

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

Recent Examples of puritan from the Web

Atwood views the United States as having two foundations: one 18th-century Enlightenment and the other 17th-century puritan theology.

— jackie mansky, Smithsonian, "The U.S. Is Too Ornery for Totalitarianism, According to Margaret Atwood," 14 Apr. 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'puritan.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of puritan

probably from Late Latin puritas purity

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1572

See Words from the same year

puritan Synonyms

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

Other Christian Religious Terms

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

puritan

adjective, often capitalized

Definition of puritan

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

Recent Examples of puritan from the Web

During that period, known as the Interregnum, Oliver Cromwell and others led a series of republican governments and promoted puritan moral standards.

— lorraine boissoneault, Smithsonian, "The Spy Who Became England’s First Successful Female Writer," 13 June 2017
Fusco illustrates it by photographing birds and animals that hardly anyone ever sees — indeed, often creatures that few have ever heard of, like puritan tiger beetles and bristle-thighed curlews.

— david holahan, courant.com, "Photographer Paul Fusco: Slow And Steady To Capture The Wild Things," 21 May 2017
In touring the 287-acre campus of pathways, low-slung buildings and a commanding statue of Mr. Bogle, the sensibility is decidedly puritan.

— landon thomas jr., New York Times, "Vanguard Is Growing Faster Than Everybody Else Combined," 14 Apr. 2017

First Known Use of puritan

1581

Other Christian Religious Terms

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

PURITAN Defined for English Language Learners

puritan

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noun

Definition of puritan for English Language Learners

Puritan : a member of a Protestant group in England and New England in the 16th and 17th centuries that opposed many customs of the Church of England
: a person who follows strict moral rules and who believes that pleasure is wrong