crusader

American  

[kroo-seyd-er] / kruˈseɪd ər /

noun

1. Often Crusader a participant in any of the crusades or military expeditions undertaken with papal sanction by the Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries in an effort to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims.

   Orders of monks who were also knights became the "storm troops" of the Christian crusaders.

2. a participant in any vigorous movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause, etc..

   Nepal's most prominent crusader for equal rights for sexual minorities was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Etymology

Origin of crusader

crusade ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A crusader is a person who works hard or campaigns forcefully for a cause. Most crusaders advocate dramatic social or political change. You can call a fierce champion for a cancer cure a crusader, and another kind of crusader could be an activist who works for school reform. Crusaders tend to be radical or at least progressive, embracing some kind of change. Crusader comes from crusade, which meant "campaign against a public evil" in the 18th century, but which earlier referred mainly to the religious-based military Crusades of the Middle Ages.

Example Sentences

There is something of the crusader about Ms. Dhillon, and religion plays a notable role in her life.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 27, 2026

A self-styled anti-corruption crusader, Yoon rose from star prosecutor to South Korean president in just a few years.

From Barron's • Feb. 19, 2026

From that moment, she became a globe-trotting crusader for animal rights.

From Los Angeles Times • Oct. 1, 2025

“Only Nixon could go to China,” because Richard Nixon had spent decades in Congress making his name as a rabid anti-communist crusader.

From Slate • Sep. 8, 2025

He saw himself as a crusader, a champion of the underdog, an enemy of sinister authority.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Related Words

• agitator
• campaigner
• zealot