Puritan (Noun)
Meaning 1
A member of a group of English Protestants who in the 16th and 17th centuries thought that the Protestant Reformation under Elizabeth was incomplete and advocated the simplification and regulation of forms of worship.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Meaning 2
Someone who adheres to strict religious principles; someone opposed to sensual pleasures.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The stern Puritan rejected any form of frivolity and worldly indulgence in his pursuit of a godly life.
- She disapproved of his new job as a casino worker, believing him to have once been a true Puritan with strict moral codes.
- Growing up, she rebelled against her father, a staunch Puritan, by seeking out novels that her family had forbidden.
- John Bunyan, an English writer, captured the sentiments of his contemporaries, some of whom considered themselves strict Puritans, with vivid storytelling and righteous fury.
- Jane studied art despite being born to Puritans, painting murals for liquor shops under assumed identities until breaking through socially conservative communities years later.
Hypernyms
Related Words
Meaning 3
A person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum.
Classification
Nouns denoting people.
Examples
- The strict puritan in her was appalled by the raunchy humor in the movie.
- He was a self-proclaimed puritan who believed that dancing was a sinful activity.
- As a puritan, she was shocked by the revealing outfit her daughter wore to the party.
- The puritan in the community was outraged by the proposal to build a casino in the town.
- Her puritan upbringing made her uncomfortable with public displays of affection.