paladin
Americannoun
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any one of the 12 legendary peers or knightly champions in attendance on Charlemagne.
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any knightly or heroic champion.
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any determined advocate or defender of a noble cause.
noun
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one of the legendary twelve peers of Charlemagne's court
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a knightly champion
Etymology
Origin of paladin
First recorded in 1585–95; from French, from Italian paladino, from Late Latin palātīnus “imperial functionary,” noun use of adjective; see origin at palatine 1
Compare meaning
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Explanation
The noun paladin means a champion of a cause. If you are a paladin for animal welfare, you probably spend your free time volunteering at the local shelter and take part in fundraisers that help keep it going. Anyone who fights hard for something they believe in can be called a paladin, although the word has old-fashioned associations. While the French word paladin means warrior, it was used specifically starting in the late 1500s to mean "one of the 12 knights in attendance on Charlemagne." As time went on, its meaning grew to include any chivalrous or heroic person.
Vocabulary lists containing paladin
Frankly in Love
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The Once and Future King
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Fresh Ink
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
For now, the favorites are horses coming off victories in races in Louisiana, Florida and Arkansas — Paladin, Commandment, Nearly, Renegade and Class President.
From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 6, 2026
Paladin is targeting output of 4.0 million-4.4 million pounds of U308, a common compound of uranium.
From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 22, 2026
Israel’s main artillery weapons are its 600 Paladin M109A5 155mm self-propelled howitzers, which are manufactured by BAE Systems in Chambersburg, Pennsylvania.
From Salon • May 19, 2024
The Bradleys and Strykers are armored and armed vehicles used to ferry troops, and the Paladin is a self-propelled howitzer gun.
From Seattle Times • May 11, 2023
And pawns are likely to see as much of it as any, Peregrin son of Paladin, soldier of Gondor.
From "The Return of the King" by J.R.R. Tolkien
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
