patron saint

American  

noun

1. a saint regarded as the special guardian of a person, group, trade, country, etc.

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patron saint British  

noun

1. a saint regarded as the particular guardian of a country, church, trade, person, etc

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patron saint Cultural  

1. A saint from whom a person or group claims special protection or prayers. Saint Christopher, for example, is considered the patron of travelers; Saint Luke, the patron of doctors; and Saint Patrick, the patron of Ireland. People who have the same name as a saint may consider the saint their patron. The honoring of patron saints is especially common in the Roman Catholic Church.

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Etymology

Origin of patron saint

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

Many families with children, couples and elderly people could be seen under a large white marquee, waiting their turn to see the 13th century skeleton of Italy's patron saint.

From Barron's • Feb. 22, 2026

The "beads" are fossilised parts of the stem of a marine animal called a crinoid, but they earnt their nickname from St Cuthbert, considered the patron saint of the North of England.

From BBC • Feb. 19, 2026

The giant candlesticks’ scrolled feet support robustly modeled evangelists; Mark is most conspicuous, as befits the patron saint of Venice.

From The Wall Street Journal • Nov. 12, 2025

The portrait of Finley’s wife, Cameron Washington, was perched in the southwest corner, looking down on the space like a kind of patron saint of all the portraits, over a dozen total.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 6, 2025

Joseph had learned something about shipwrecks as a pupil at St. Anthony’s, which was named after the patron saint of shipwrecks and lost things.

From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick

Related Words

• guardian angel