patriot

[ pey-tree-uht, -ot or, especially British, pa-tree-uht ]

/ ˈpeɪ tri ət, -ˌɒt or, especially British, ˈpæ tri ət /

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See synonyms for: patriot / patriots on Thesaurus.com

noun

a person who loves, supports, and defends their country and its interests with devotion.

a person who values individual rights, especially one who attempts to defend those rights against presumed interference by the federal government.

Patriot, Military. a U.S. Army antiaircraft missile with a range of 37 miles (60 kilometers) and a 200-pound (90-kilogram) warhead, launched from a tracked vehicle with radar and computer guidance and fire control.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of patriot

First recorded in 1570–80; from Middle French patriote, from Late Latin patriōta, from Greek patriṓtēs “fellow-countryman, lineage member (in the paternal line)”

OTHER WORDS FROM patriot

an·ti·pa·tri·ot, nounsem·i·pa·tri·ot, noun

Words nearby patriot

patrilineal, patrilinear, patriliny, patrilocal, patrimony, patriot, patriotic, patriotism, Patriots' Day, patripotestal, patristic

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use patriot in a sentence

These were patriots who loved their country and do not want to see our great republic turned into a socialist country.
Democrats seek censure of Virginia state senator who praised Capitol rioters|Laura Vozzella|January 15, 2021|Washington Post
The fluctuating role of Marvel’s fictional patriot in the ideological melee offers a microcosmic view of the deep ironies of America’s current, frustrating political situation.
Can Captain America serve two dramatically different versions of America?|Aja Romano|January 12, 2021|Vox
Perhaps even the most devoted sons must eventually leave their mothers to commit the traditional coming-of-age ritual of trashing the seat of American Democracy in the name of being a patriot.
Trumpist masculinity reaches its high water mark|Monica Hesse|January 12, 2021|Washington Post
The people who easily bypassed the bollards and fences to terrorize the Capitol said they were there as patriots motivated by policy or politics or partisanship.
All this security in D.C. to thwart terrorism, yet the threat came from within|Petula Dvorak|January 11, 2021|Washington Post

A GoFundMe page created under Hopkins’s name had raised more than $136,000 by Tuesday evening, with donors praising him as a patriot and whistleblower.
Postal worker recanted allegations of ballot tampering, officials say|Shawn Boburg, Jacob Bogage|November 11, 2020|Washington Post
The man behind the desk is a fictional character—a ferocious patriot exposing the limits of rigid ideology.
The End of Truthiness: Stephen Colbert’s Sublime Finale|Noel Murray|December 19, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The Patriot Act allows the Department of Justice to seize foreign bank assets in U.S. accounts.
Special Forces’ $77M ‘Hustler’ Hits Back|Kevin Maurer|December 8, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“I have always considered him a friend, a patriot, and a dedicated public servant,” McCain said in a statement.
Hagel Takes a Bullet for Obama: Inside the Defense Secretary’s Sudden Firing|Shane Harris, Tim Mak|November 24, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Despite the trials of a lifetime and the events of this summer, Washington still calls himself a patriot.
NPR’s Smooth-Talking Millennial Whisperer|Batya Ungar-Sargon|October 7, 2014|DAILY BEAST
The President, yesterday, at a Patriot Day ceremony, tells me never to give into fear.
Thank Goodness We’ve Got A Plan! Let the War Begin!|Michael Carson|September 14, 2014|DAILY BEAST
He was a patriot of the noblest and most extensive views, and justly celebrated as a man of learning, eloquent and refined.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Pierre Van Cortlandt, a distinguished revolutionary patriot, died at his seat at Croton river, aged 94.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
He was afterwards a member of the Massachusetts senate, and much esteemed as a physician and a patriot.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
Posing as a patriot King and boasting of his love for his adopted country, he ever remained at heart a Frenchman.
Napoleon's Marshals|R. P. Dunn-Pattison
And now, having attained all he could desire, Wilkes sank the patriot in the courtier.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper

British Dictionary definitions for patriot (1 of 2)

patriot

/ (ˈpeɪtrɪət, ˈpæt-) /

noun

a person who vigorously supports his country and its way of life

Derived forms of patriot

patriotic (ˌpætrɪˈɒtɪk), adjectivepatriotically, adverb

Word Origin for patriot

C16: via French from Late Latin patriōta, from Greek patriotēs, from patris native land; related to Greek patēr father; compare Latin pater father, patria fatherland

British Dictionary definitions for patriot (2 of 2)

Patriot

/ (ˈpeɪtrɪət) /

noun

a US surface-to-air missile system with multiple launch stations and the capability to track multiple targets by radar

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

patriot

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Origin of patriot

OTHER WORDS FROM patriot

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British Dictionary definitions for patriot (1 of 2)

Derived forms of patriot

Word Origin for patriot

British Dictionary definitions for patriot (2 of 2)