A puritan is usually someone who is very strictdemanding exact obedience to rules and refusing flexibility or indulgence about moralsideas about what is right and wrong in behavior, manners, or pleasure. The word can also refer to a member of the historicalconnected with the past rather than the present Puritan religious movement in England and America.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Pronunciation
AI-generated pronunciation audio (OpenAI).
Accent: General American English
IPA: /ˈpjʊrɪtən/
Easy pronunciation: PYUR-i-tən (approximate spelling).
Stress: Stress on the first syllable.
Use this for the sense meaning a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Puritan Meaning
a person who is very strict about behavior, morals, or modesty
Part of speech: noun
Definition: a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum
Example: She was seen as a puritan because she disapproved of anything she thought was too flashy or indulgent.
Synonyms for this meaning:
- prude — The closest everyday synonym for this sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Other Meanings of Puritan
Meaning 2
a person who lives by very strict moral or religious rules and avoids pleasure
Part of speech: noun
Definition: someone who adheres to strict religious principles; someone opposed to sensual pleasures
Example: He lived like a puritan, avoiding luxury and anything he considered sinful
Meaning 3
a member of the historical Puritan religious movement
Part of speech: noun
Definition: 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
Example: The Puritans were a Protestant group that wanted to simplify church worship.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: uncertain — manual review needed. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Puritan Synonyms
Similar Meaning
- prude
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Common Mistakes
- People sometimes use puritan to mean the historical Puritan religious group, but in everyday speech it more often means someone who is overly strict about morality or behavior.
- Do not confuse puritan with prude in the historical-religious sense; prude fits only the everyday attitude sense.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does puritan mean?
Puritan usually means a person who is very strict about morals, manners, or modesty. It can also mean a member of the historical Puritan religious movement.
What are synonyms for puritan?
In the everyday sense, the main synonym is prude. The historical religious senses do not have a direct one-word everyday synonym in this data.
Is puritan always negative?
Often, yes, when it describes someone as overly strict or prudish. But it can also be a neutral historical term for a member of the Puritan movement.
Reviewed with OpenAI Decisions. Assessment: accurate. Checked: 2026-10-22. AI assessment; not a guarantee of accuracy.