paladin

American  

[pal-uh-din] / ˈpæl ə dɪn /

noun

1. any one of the 12 legendary peers or knightly champions in attendance on Charlemagne.

2. any knightly or heroic champion.

3. any determined advocate or defender of a noble cause.

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paladin British  

/ ˈpælədɪn /

noun

1. one of the legendary twelve peers of Charlemagne's court

2. a knightly champion

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Etymology

Origin of paladin

First recorded in 1585–95; from French, from Italian paladino, from Late Latin palātīnus “imperial functionary,” noun use of adjective; palatine ¹

Compare meaning

How does paladin compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• paladin vs. warrior

Explanation

The noun paladin means a champion of a cause. If you are a paladin for animal welfare, you probably spend your free time volunteering at the local shelter and take part in fundraisers that help keep it going. Anyone who fights hard for something they believe in can be called a paladin, although the word has old-fashioned associations. While the French word paladin means warrior, it was used specifically starting in the late 1500s to mean "one of the 12 knights in attendance on Charlemagne." As time went on, its meaning grew to include any chivalrous or heroic person.

Example Sentences

Later, when Regé-Jean Page strides into the action as a humorless, hyper-competent paladin, Goldstein and Daley permit our eyes to glaze over as he drones on about arcana that’s impossible to absorb.

From New York Times • Mar. 30, 2023

To do this, she will have to jump repeatedly between universes and, like a video-game paladin shifting fighting styles at will, absorb the special powers of her many, many fellow Evelyns.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 24, 2022

You dress up as an elf warlock or half-orc paladin.

From Seattle Times • Sep. 26, 2018

The basic outlines of your character—whether you wanted to play a noble paladin, a winsome elfin bard, or something else altogether—are usually a matter of personal choice.

From Slate • Oct. 18, 2017

Scott has, in Marmion,— "When Roland brave, and Olivier, And every paladin and peer, At Roncesvalles died!"

From Notes and Queries, Number 238, May 20, 1854 A Medium of Inter-communication for Literary Men, Artists, Antiquaries, Genealogists, etc by Various