as in puritan
a person who is greatly concerned with seemly behavior and morality especially regarding sexual matters
a smattering of moralists around the country tried to get the songs banned from the radio
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Recent Examples of moralist
When literature was considered transgressive, moralists couldn’t get people to stop buying and reading dangerous books.
—
Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
The gaydar of a founding mother and a Jesuit moralist will always be far more attuned than the intuition of a mob of reactionary haters.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
He’s known for brash takes on politics and appears to relish taking down moralists and elitists.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2025
The concept of consciousness has kept a small army of moralists, physicists, and theologians busy for generations.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for moralist
Adam Kirsch, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2026
The gaydar of a founding mother and a Jesuit moralist will always be far more attuned than the intuition of a mob of reactionary haters.
—Literary Hub, 4 Nov. 2025
He’s known for brash takes on politics and appears to relish taking down moralists and elitists.
—Christopher Arnott, Hartford Courant, 20 July 2025
The concept of consciousness has kept a small army of moralists, physicists, and theologians busy for generations.
—Melanie Stetson Freeman, The Christian Science Monitor, 22 Nov. 2024
See All Example Sentences for moralist
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moralist
puritan
Noun
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However, rather than blithely dismiss the consequences of legalization with eye-rolling contempt for the puritans, supporters should confront the adverse societal effects of cannabis — the pervasive urban stench, the traffic deaths and the pernicious effects on youth.—
Cory Franklin,
Chicago Tribune,
12 Jan. 2026
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Austere antiquity is in constant conflict with more sensual, modern impulses — a tension that feels productive applied to a story of the Shakers, puritans whom time has proven too pure for this world.—
Guy Lodge,
Variety,
1 Sep. 2025
Cite this Entry
“Moralist.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moralist. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
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