[ 'pjʊərɪt(ə)n ]
■ noun
1》 ( Puritan ) a member of a group of English Protestants who regarded the Reformation of the Church under Elizabeth I as incomplete and sought to simplify and regulate forms of worship.
2》 a person with censorious moral beliefs, especially about self-indulgence and sex.
■ adjective
1》 ( Puritan ) relating to the Puritans.
2》 characteristic of a ~.
Derivatives
~ism noun
Origin
C16: from late L. puritas 'purity' + -an .