Defender of the Faith

American

noun

a title conferred on Henry VIII by Pope Leo X in 1521, later withdrawn but restored by Parliament and used ever since by English sovereigns.

Defender of the Faith British

noun

Latin term: Fidei Defensor. the title conferred upon Henry VIII by Pope Leo X in 1521 in recognition of the King's pamphlet attacking Luther's doctrines and retained by subsequent monarchs of England

"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

Etymology

Origin of Defender of the Faith

Translation of New Latin Fidēī dēfēnsor

Example Sentences

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Defender of the Faith

British monarchs serve as the Supreme Governor of the Church of England, and hold the title Defender of the Faith.

From BBC ● Mar. 22, 2026

He's talked in the past about not being the Head of State or the Defender of the Faith, but Defender of Faith.

From Salon ● Dec. 8, 2022

The image is surrounded by a Latin inscription which translates as "King Charles III, by the Grace of God, Defender of the Faith".

From Reuters ● Sep. 29, 2022

Charles will also inherit the title of Defender of the Faith, a role he once questioned in a television interview.

From Washington Times ● Sep. 9, 2022

Who was there besides him to act as Defender of the Faith?

From Historical Tales, Vol. 6 (of 15) The Romance of Reality. French. by Charles Morris

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Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023