patriotic

American  

[pey-tree-ot-ik, pa-] / ˌpeɪ triˈɒt ɪk, ˌpæ- /

adjective

1. of, like, suitable for, or characteristic of a patriot.

2. expressing or inspired by patriotism.

   a patriotic ode.

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Other Word Forms

• antipatriotic adjective
• antipatriotically adverb
• hyperpatriotic adjective
• hyperpatriotically adverb
• nonpatriotic adjective
• nonpatriotically adverb
• overpatriotic adjective
• overpatriotically adverb
• patriotically adverb
• propatriotic adjective
• pseudopatriotic adjective
• pseudopatriotically adverb
• quasi-patriotic adjective
• quasi-patriotically adverb
• semipatriotic adjective
• semipatriotically adverb
• ultrapatriotic adjective
• ultrapatrioticly adverb
• unpatriotic adjective
• unpatriotically adverb

Etymology

Origin of patriotic

1645–55; < Late Latin patriōticus < Greek patriōtikós. See patriot, -ic

Explanation

Respect for the country's flag, a desire to see your nation succeed, and a deep, abiding love of your country are all patriotic expressions, but being patriotic doesn’t mean you think your country’s perfect — just that you love it. The Greek word patēr, which means father, was the basis for the word patris, or native land, and so patriotic came to mean "a love of country." In the 18th century, the word was formed from the word patriot by adding the suffix -ic, which turns a noun into an adjective. An example of a patriotic comment would be this one, by President Bill Clinton: "There is nothing wrong with America that cannot be cured by what is right with America."

Example Sentences

So when a lucrative commission comes to Y, inviting him to compose a patriotic anthem for the “victory generation,” you already know what his answer is.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 3, 2026

She has struggled to shield her daughter from an ever-increasing number of "patriotic" activities and lessons.

From BBC • Mar. 20, 2026

In the capital Hanoi, patriotic red-and-yellow banners flutter from lampposts and traffic lights, extolling the "national festival" where people "eagerly cast ballots".

From Barron's • Mar. 14, 2026

The book’s narrative progresses chronologically, year by year, starting from 1939, when war was declared, on Sept. 3, with none of the patriotic fervor that had greeted World War I in 1914.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 13, 2026

Shackleton and the rest of the men on board Endurance were tortured by indecision: they were all patriotic subjects of a country heading into war, and yet they all now burned to voyage south.

From "Shipwreck at the Bottom of the World" by Jennifer Armstrong

Related Words

• loyal
• nationalistic