puritan

Pronunciation

• IPA: /ˈpjʊə.ɹɪ.tən/ (UK); /ˈpjʊ.ɹɪ.tən/ (US)^[1]

Etymology

Probably formed from Late Latin pūritās (“purity”) or English purity with the suffix -an,^{[2][3][4][5][6]} from Latin pūrus “pure”.^[2] The AHD suggests it was modelled on Medieval Latin Kathari “the pure ones”, the name of a third-century sect.^[2]

Earliest recorded meaning

In the 1560s, an opponent of the Anglican hierarchy's rules on ritual and vestments (1564),^[3][4] and from 1571 a member of the party in the Church of England demanding further reformation.^[3][4]

Semantic evolution

The Puritans became a powerful political party in the 17th century,^[6] and some settled in New England.^[5][3] The name was applied to members of any sect advocating special purity of doctrine (1577),^[7][4] and from 1592, chiefly in reproach, to anyone thought overly strict in religion or morals.^[3][4][7] From the 19th century the original sense was largely historical.^[3][4] Puritanical dates from 1607.^[3]

Timeline

• 1564 – an opponent of the Anglican hierarchy.^[3]
• 1571 – a member of the reforming party in the Church of England.^[3][4]
• 1581 – adjective.^[5]
• 1592 – anyone overly strict in religion or morals.^[3][7]
• 1607 – puritanical.^[3]

Modern meaning

Noun

1. (usually capitalized) A member of a group of English Protestants of the 16th and 17th centuries who sought strict discipline and the simplification of the worship and creeds of the Church of England.
2. A person who is very strict in moral or religious matters, especially one who regards pleasure or luxury as sinful.

Adjective

1. Of or relating to the Puritans or Puritanism.
2. Characteristic of a puritan; puritanical.

Related words

• purity
• puritanical
• Puritanism
• pure
• Cathar

References

1. ^ Wiktionary, the free dictionary, https://en.wiktionary.org
2. ^ a b c The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language (1992), 3rd ed., Boston: Houghton Mifflin
3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Barnhart, Robert K., ed. (1995), The Barnhart Concise Dictionary of Etymology, New York: HarperCollins
4. ^ a b c d e f g Harper, Douglas, Online Etymology Dictionary, https://www.etymonline.com
5. ^ a b c Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary (2003), 11th ed., Springfield, Mass.: Merriam-Webster
6. ^ a b Random House Webster's Unabridged Dictionary (1999), 2nd ed., New York: Random House
7. ^ a b c Simpson, J. A.; Weiner, E. S. C., eds. (1989), The Oxford English Dictionary, 2nd ed., Oxford: Clarendon Press