crusader

American  

[kroo-seyd-er] / kruˈseɪd ər /

noun

• crusaders
  plural

1. Often Crusader a participant in any of the crusades or military expeditions undertaken with papal sanction by the Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries in an effort to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims.

   Orders of monks who were also knights became the "storm troops" of the Christian crusaders.

2. a participant in any vigorous movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause, etc..

   Nepal's most prominent crusader for equal rights for sexual minorities was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• crusaders
  plural

Etymology

Origin of crusader

crusade ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Explanation

A crusader is a person who works hard or campaigns forcefully for a cause. Most crusaders advocate dramatic social or political change. You can call a fierce champion for a cancer cure a crusader, and another kind of crusader could be an activist who works for school reform. Crusaders tend to be radical or at least progressive, embracing some kind of change. Crusader comes from crusade, which meant "campaign against a public evil" in the 18th century, but which earlier referred mainly to the religious-based military Crusades of the Middle Ages.

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

crusader crusaders

On the bright side, it looks like Cunningham might not have the fortitude for the life of a crusader.

From Salon ● Aug. 9, 2026

The concept of a Christian “holy war”—a war conferring spiritual benefits—originates in medieval Latin Christianity, with its crusader theology of bellum sacrum.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 19, 2026

In January, Moreno-Gama recorded the interview, detailing his path from curious internet nerd to a crusader obsessed with AI’s dangers.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 16, 2026

Jane Fonda, the renowned actor and political crusader, has made air quality a target of her protests.

From Los Angeles Times ● Mar. 26, 2026

He saw himself as a crusader, a champion of the underdog, an enemy of sinister authority.

From "The Big Short" by Michael Lewis

Antidebt crusaders, like the personal-finance radio host Dave Ramsey, have been speaking for years about how paying thousands of dollars in interest can seriously impede a family’s ability to make progress on their other goals.

From MarketWatch ● Apr. 9, 2026

The spread of this new orthodoxy shouldn’t be surprising, for as the author notes, “insatiability is a defining feature of moral crusades. As crusaders achieve victories, they expand the scope of their crusade.”

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jan. 28, 2026

A former member of the Minnesota National Guard, he has a tattoo on his bicep reading “Deus Vult”, a latin phrase meaning “God wills it”, a rallying cry for Christian crusaders in the Middle Ages.

From BBC ● Nov. 15, 2024

You have Megan and Lois as the crusaders and the heads of their department who are hunting these killers.

From Salon ● Oct. 31, 2024

“You’re one of those merch crusaders always trying to clean up the Barrel.”

From "Six of Crows" by Leigh Bardugo

Related Words

• agitator
• campaigner
• zealot