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moralists

noun

plural of moralist
as in puritans
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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Example Sentences

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of moralists Twenty years ago, moralists tried to strong arm a Texas private school into removing Annie Proulx’s sensitive story Brokeback Mountain from its curriculum. — Spin Team, SPIN, 22 June 2026 Christian moralists thundered against the sinful pleasures of watching naked female flesh at the Spectacles. — Literary Hub, 15 Apr. 2026 For every cultural good, identity has become fused with the object of interest, turning previously normal people leading unremarkable lives into Steak ’n Shake beef-tallow purists, Harry Potter moralists, or cast-iron-pan-cleaning radicals. — Ian Bogost, The Atlantic, 31 Mar. 2026
Recent Examples of Synonyms for moralists
puritans
Noun
  • During and after both wars, puritans used large-scale enslavement of Native peoples to bolster their labor force and help clear land for colonial settlement.
    — Literary Hub, Literary Hub, 11 Sep. 2026
  • 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
Definition of puritans

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Cite this Entry

“Moralists.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/moralists. Accessed 25 Sep. 2026.

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