puritan meaning and definition

PURITAN noun

Definition of Puritan (noun)

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
2. someone who adheres to strict religious principles; someone opposed to sensual pleasures
3. a person excessively concerned about propriety and decorum
   • synonyms: prude