patriot
noun
a person who loves, supports, and defends their country and its interests with devotion.
Trivia Time
Who wrote Common Sense, a pamphlet that persuaded many American patriots to support independence?
patriot
American
[pay-tree-uht, -ot, pa-tree-uht]
/ ˈpeɪ tri ət, -ˌɒt, ˈpæ tri ət /
noun
-
patriots
plural
-
a person who loves, supports, and defends their country and its interests with devotion.
-
a person who values individual rights, especially one who attempts to defend those rights against presumed interference by the federal government.
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Military. Patriot, a U.S. Army antiaircraft missile with a range of 37 miles (60 kilometers) and a 200-pound (90-kilogram) warhead, launched from a tracked vehicle with radar and computer guidance and fire control.
Patriot
1
British
/ ˈpeɪtrɪət /
noun
patriot
2
British
/ ˈpeɪtrɪət, ˈpæt- /
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of patriot
First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French patriote, from Late Latin patriōta, from Greek patriṓtēs “fellow-countryman, lineage member (in the paternal line)”
Compare meaning
How does patriot compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
Explanation
A patriot is someone who loves and who has sometimes fought for his or her country. “Nathan Hale was a true patriot; his only regret was that he had but one life to give for his country.” The word patriot comes from patrios (Greek, not Latin for once), which means "of one’s father." So, despite various references to the motherland, the word patriot more or less lands us square in the fatherland arena. And if you’re a football fan, the New England Patriots is a near-Boston-based team (Boston being a major source of American patriots in the Revolutionary War). And, if you want to get yourself in trouble, you can wander Boston with a megaphone chanting, “The Patriots stink.”
Vocabulary lists containing patriot
Memorial Day Words
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Not Your Father's Word List: Pater, Patr
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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.
See Examples For:
China's state news agency Xinhua called Tung a "renowned patriot, distinguished social activist, close friend of the Communist Party of China".
From BBC ● Sep. 9, 2026
He called Zhykovych a "patriot" who had fought in eastern Ukraine in 2014, like himself, and then "actively defended" the Kyiv region after 2022 when Russia launched its full-scale invasion.
From BBC ● Jul. 9, 2026
He also identifies himself as an Indian patriot and has said he doesn’t think the country should be broken into pieces.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 9, 2026
The true patriot highlights problems and works to correct them, independent of how much they want the national team to win their next match.
From Salon ● Jun. 15, 2026
This African patriot had helped found the organization in 1912, and casting my vote near his grave site brought history full circle, for the mission he began eighty-two years before was about to be achieved.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
The almost 400 interceptors that remain are augmented by a Greek army contingent with a Patriot missile battery and roughly 100 soldiers.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 13, 2026
Last month, France and the U.K. said they would offer defensive assistance to Saudi Arabia, while Greece is operating U.S.-made Patriot missile batteries in the kingdom.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 2, 2026
American armed forces have used about one-third of their pre-Iran war Tomahawk inventory and roughly half of their high-end Patriot interceptors, according to the Center for Strategic and International Studies, a think tank.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 28, 2026
U.S. forces fired 60 to 70 Patriot interceptors to counter the attack, which consisted of about 20 ballistic missiles, some of the officials said.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 16, 2026
“I get back from a morning of dealing with the Patriot rebels and what do I hear about? Helicopters two blocks from Drake. A girl scaling a skyscraper.”
From "Legend" by Marie Lu
The idea reassures believers that true patriots like themselves will soon be financially secure, respected, and healthy—and it also offers more immediate relief too.
From Slate ● Sep. 22, 2026
“This is being made as a gift from me and other people that are great patriots and spent a lot of money. We are building what will be the finest ballroom anywhere in the world.”
From Los Angeles Times ● May 21, 2026
The attacks created a shared sense of purpose that inspired a generation of patriots.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 19, 2026
"The American patriots who pledged their lives to independence in 1776, were the heirs to this majestic inheritance," Trump said.
From Barron's ● Apr. 28, 2026
But, eventually, they permitted me to stay, and I discovered the great African patriots who fought against Western domination.
From "Long Walk to Freedom" by Nelson Mandela
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