puritanism

P3U1R1I1T1A1N1I1S1M3

noun

Strict and austere religious conduct.

OriginFrench puritanisme ← English Puritan ← Middle English pure →
UncommonScrabble 14
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Meanings

puritanism1

nounpuritanism (countable and uncountable, plural puritanisms)

plural puritanisms

  1. countableuncountablelifestyleStrict and austere religious conduct.
  2. countableuncountableExtreme strictness regarding moral scruples.
    1 more example

    2016 October 17, Vicky Spratt, "Work Hard, Work Hard:Meet The Neo-Puritans", Graziadaily.cohttp://graziadaily.co.uk/life/real-life/work-hard-work-hard-meet-neo-puritans Some have argued that the closure of Fabric is symptomatic of a wider shift towards a new puritanism in Britain: a culture in which fun, hedonism and cultural experimentation are no longer valued.

Puritanism2

nounPuritanism (uncountable)
  1. uncountableThe beliefs and practices of the Puritans.

Synonyms & antonyms

Also see
precisianism

Origin

puritanism · noun

  1. Englishpuritan
  2. Proto-Indo-European*pewH-
  3. Proto-Italic*pūros
  4. Latinpūrus
  5. Old Frenchpur
  6. Middle Englishpure
  7. Englishpure
  8. Englishpurity
  9. EnglishPuritan
  10. Frenchpuritain
  11. Frenchpuritanisme
  12. Englishpuritanism

Borrowed from French puritanisme. By surface analysis, puritan + ism.

More words from French

Full word history & related roots →

Puritanism · noun

From Puritan + -ism.

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bulgarian пуританизъм
  • пуританизъм (puritanizăm)strict and austere religious conduct
Catalan puritanisme, puritanisme
  • puritanismestrict and austere religious conduct
  • puritanismepractices of the Puritans
French puritanisme, puritanisme
  • puritanismestrict and austere religious conduct
  • puritanismepractices of the Puritans
German Puritanismus
  • Puritanismuspractices of the Puritans
Hungarian puritanizmus, puritanizmus
  • puritanizmusstrict and austere religious conduct
  • puritanizmuspractices of the Puritans
Italian puritanesimo, puritanismo
  • puritanesimostrict and austere religious conduct
  • puritanismostrict and austere religious conduct
Polish purytanizm
  • purytanizmpractices of the Puritans
Portuguese puritanismo
  • puritanismostrict and austere religious conduct
Romanian puritanism
  • puritanismstrict and austere religious conduct
Russian пуритани́зм, пурита́нство
  • пуритани́зм (puritanízm)strict and austere religious conduct
  • пурита́нство (puritánstvo)strict and austere religious conduct
  • пуритани́зм (puritanízm)practices of the Puritans
Spanish puritanismo, puritanismo
  • puritanismostrict and austere religious conduct
  • puritanismopractices of the Puritans
Swedish puritanism
  • puritanismstrict and austere religious conduct
Turkish püritanizm, püritenizm
  • püritanizmpractices of the Puritans
  • püritenizmpractices of the Puritans

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

unipartism
Cite this entry
APA

puritanism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/puritanism

MLA

“puritanism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/puritanism. Accessed November 4, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “puritanism,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/puritanism.

Source: puritanism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.