patriot

[ pey-tree-uht, -ot or, especially British, pa-tree-uht ]

See synonyms for patriot on Thesaurus.com

noun

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.

Patriot, Military. 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.

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)”

Other words from patriot

an·ti·pa·tri·ot, noun
sem·i·pa·tri·ot, noun

Words Nearby patriot

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use patriot in a sentence

The man behind the desk is a fictional character—a ferocious patriot exposing the limits of rigid ideology.
The End of Truthiness: Stephen Colbert’s Sublime Finale | Noel Murray | December 19, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The patriot Act allows the Department of Justice to seize foreign bank assets in U.S. accounts.
Special Forces’ $77M ‘Hustler’ Hits Back | Kevin Maurer | December 8, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
“I have always considered him a friend, a patriot, and a dedicated public servant,” McCain said in a statement.
Hagel Takes a Bullet for Obama: Inside the Defense Secretary’s Sudden Firing | Shane Harris, Tim Mak | November 24, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
Despite the trials of a lifetime and the events of this summer, Washington still calls himself a patriot.
NPR’s Smooth-Talking Millennial Whisperer | Batya Ungar-Sargon | October 7, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST
The President, yesterday, at a patriot Day ceremony, tells me never to give into fear.
Thank Goodness We’ve Got A Plan! Let the War Begin! | Michael Carson | September 14, 2014 | THE DAILY BEAST

He was a patriot of the noblest and most extensive views, and justly celebrated as a man of learning, eloquent and refined.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
Pierre Van Cortlandt, a distinguished revolutionary patriot, died at his seat at Croton river, aged 94.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
He was afterwards a member of the Massachusetts senate, and much esteemed as a physician and a patriot.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology | Joel Munsell
Posing as a patriot King and boasting of his love for his adopted country, he ever remained at heart a Frenchman.
Napoleon's Marshals | R. P. Dunn-Pattison
And now, having attained all he could desire, Wilkes sank the patriot in the courtier.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries | Charles G. Harper

British Dictionary definitions for patriot (1 of 2)

patriot

/ (ˈpeɪtrɪət, ˈpæt-) /

noun

a person who vigorously supports his country and its way of life

Origin of patriot

C16: via French from Late Latin patriōta, from Greek patriotēs, from patris native land; related to Greek patēr father; compare Latin pater father, patria fatherland

Derived forms of patriot

patriotic (ˌpætrɪˈɒtɪk), adjective
patriotically, adverb

British Dictionary definitions for Patriot (2 of 2)

Patriot

/ (ˈpeɪtrɪət) /

noun

a US surface-to-air missile system with multiple launch stations and the capability to track multiple targets by radar

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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