patriot

American  

[pey-tree-uht, -ot, pa-tree-uht] / ˈpeɪ tri ət, -ˌɒt, ˈpæ tri ət /

noun

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

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

3. Military. Patriot, 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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Patriot ¹ British  

/ ˈpeɪtrɪət /

noun

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

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patriot ² British  

/ ˈpeɪtrɪət, ˌpætrɪˈɒtɪk, ˈpæt- /

noun

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

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Other Word Forms

• antipatriot noun
• patriotic adjective
• patriotically adverb
• semipatriot noun

Etymology

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)”

Compare meaning

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

• patriot vs. loyalist

Example Sentences

"Everyone chooses their own path, according to their interests," he said, calling himself a "patriot".

From Barron's

“These patriots of Minneapolis are showing that it’s not just about resistance—standing with our neighbors is deeply American,” Frey said.

From The Wall Street Journal

In this, Mr. Pahlavi aligns with millions of Iranians who recall life under the shah with nostalgia and remember the shah himself as a patriot.

From The Wall Street Journal

According to its findings, 65 percent of Estonia's Russian speakers said they were "rather or definitely patriots of Estonia," whereas 28 percent said that they were "rather or definitely not."

From Barron's

President Bassirou Diomaye Faye is additionally expected to host them at the presidential palace in the coming days, after calling the players "patriots" and labelling the final a "victory for all Senegalese people".

From Barron's

Related Words

• superpatriot