Puritan
[ pyoo r-i-tn ]
/ ˈpyʊər ɪ tn /
noun
a member of a group of Protestants that arose in the 16th century within the Church of England, demanding the simplification of doctrine and worship, and greater strictness in religious discipline: during part of the 17th century the Puritans became a powerful political party.
(lowercase)
a person who is strict in moral or religious matters, often excessively so.
adjective
of or relating to the Puritans.
(lowercase)
of, relating to, or characteristic of a moral puritan; puritanical.
OTHER WORDS FROM Puritan
Example sentences from the Web for puritan
British Dictionary definitions for puritan (1 of 2)
puritan
/ (ˈpjʊərɪtən) /
noun
a person who adheres to strict moral or religious principles, esp one opposed to luxury and sensual enjoyment
adjective
characteristic of a puritan
Derived forms of puritan
puritanism, nounWord Origin for puritan
C16: from Late Latin
pūritās
purity
British Dictionary definitions for puritan (2 of 2)
Puritan
/ (in the late 16th and 17th centuries ˈpjʊərɪtən) /
noun
any of the more extreme English Protestants, most of whom were Calvinists, who wished to purify the Church of England of most of its ceremony and other aspects that they deemed to be Catholic
adjective
of, characteristic of, or relating to the Puritans