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Synonyms

crusade

American  
[kroo-seyd] / kruˈseɪd /

noun

  1. Often Crusade any of the military expeditions undertaken by the Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslims.

  2. any war carried on under papal sanction.

  3. any vigorous, aggressive movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause, etc..

    a crusade against child abuse.

verb (used without object)

crusaded, crusading

  1. to go on or engage in a crusade.

crusade British  
/ kruːˈseɪd /

noun

  1. (often capital) any of the military expeditions undertaken in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries by the Christian powers of Europe to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims

  2. (formerly) any holy war undertaken on behalf of a religious cause

  3. a vigorous and dedicated action or movement in favour of a cause

"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

verb

  1. to campaign vigorously for something

  2. to go on a crusade

"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

Other Word Forms

  • crusader noun
  • noncrusading adjective
  • post-Crusade adjective
  • pre-Crusade adjective

Etymology

Origin of crusade

First recorded in 1570–80; earlier crusada, from Spanish cruzada; replacing croisade, from Middle French. See cross, -ade 1

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.

This dissent marked an escalation in Jackson’s crusade against shadow docket abuses.

From Slate • Mar. 17, 2026

Weinstein has been on a crusade against managers of closed-end mutual funds, including BlackRock which, like the Blue Owl funds, limit investors’ ability to take their money out.

From The Wall Street Journal • Feb. 20, 2026

Brought alongside six other high-profile figures, including pop icon Elton John and his husband David Furnish, it is the prince's last active legal case in his long-running crusade against the British media.

From Barron's • Jan. 21, 2026

The movie’s moxie makes it impossible not to get caught up in Marty’s crusade.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 23, 2025

The Andrews case became the basis for a legal and medical crusade.

From "In Cold Blood" by Truman Capote

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.