Definitions
from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.
- noun The practices and doctrines of the Puritans.
- noun Scrupulous moral rigor, especially hostility to social pleasures and indulgences.
from The Century Dictionary.
- noun Strictness of religious life; puritanic strictness in religious matters.
- noun The principles and practices of the Puritans.
from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.
- noun The doctrines, notions, or practice of Puritans.
from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.
- noun The
beliefs andpractices of thePuritans
from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.
- noun the beliefs and practices characteristic of Puritans (most of whom were Calvinists who wished to purify the Church of England of its Catholic aspects)
- noun strictness and austerity in conduct and religion
Etymologies
Sorry, no etymologies found.
Support
Help support Wordnik (and make this page ad-free) by adopting the word Puritanism.
Examples
-
Mat laughs at what he calls Puritanism, and says the world is growing broader and more generous.
A Little Girl in Old Boston Amanda Minnie Douglas 1873
-
In the recoil from what they call Puritanism, or religion without culture, many have given themselves up to culture without religion, or, at best, with a very diluted form of religion.
Shakespeare His Life Art And Characters Hudson, H N 1872
-
In the recoil from what they call Puritanism, or religion without culture, many have given themselves up to culture without religion, or, at best, with a very diluted form of religion.
Shakespeare: His Life, Art, And Characters, Volume I. With An Historical Sketch Of The Origin And Growth Of The Drama In England Henry Norman Hudson 1850
-
I actually use the tension between Cotton and Increase Mather over those trials to show the internal tensions in Puritanism (cheat sheet for those at home: son Cotton was unreservedly pro-prosecution, dad Increase famously thought it better that some witches go free rather than convict any innocents, but still refused to denounce the trials themselves.)
The Volokh Conspiracy » Taking the Washington Post to School 2010
-
I actually use the tension between Cotton and Increase Mather over those trials to show the internal tensions in Puritanism (cheat sheet for those at home: son Cotton was unreservedly pro-prosecution, dad Increase famously thought it better that some witches go free rather than convict any innocents, but still refused to denounce the trials themselves.)
The Volokh Conspiracy » Taking the Washington Post to School 2010
-
I actually use the tension between Cotton and Increase Mather over those trials to show the internal tensions in Puritanism (cheat sheet for those at home: son Cotton was unreservedly pro-prosecution, dad Increase famously thought it better that some witches go free rather than convict any innocents, but still refused to denounce the trials themselves.)
The Volokh Conspiracy » Taking the Washington Post to School 2010
-
Puritanism, in other words, amounted to much more than a peripheral deviance from the church of the Elizabethan Settlement.
Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Telegraph Staff 2011
-
Like his predecessors, and it must be said, without a hint of what is popularly known as Puritanism, Milton joins in the ritual dance of the year's renewal, the return of flowers, the reaffirmation of "Mirth and youth, and warm desire."
'The Complete Poetry and Essential Prose of John Milton' 2008
-
The time was when public favour spoke for the upholding of morality with a conspicuousness which could be called Puritanism, were the anachronism possible.
The Tapestry Book Helen Churchill Hungerford Candee 1905
-
Not the apostles of that new Puritanism, which is but the whine of the hypocrite, and is both writ and spoken badly.
Intentions Oscar Wilde 1877
Comments
Log in or sign up to get involved in the conversation. It's quick and easy.