Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for patriotism. Search instead for patriotisms.
Synonyms

patriotism

American  
[pay-tree-uh-tiz-uhm, pa-] / ˈpeɪ tri əˌtɪz əm, ˈpæ- /

noun

  1. devoted love, support, and defense of one's country; national loyalty.


patriotism British  
/ ˈpætrɪəˌtɪzəm /

noun

  1. devotion to one's own country and concern for its defence Compare nationalism

"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

Other Word Forms


Etymology

Origin of patriotism

First recorded in 1720–30; patriot + -ism


Explanation

If you're full of patriotism, you're full of love for your country. Patriotism is associated with serving your country and waving the flag. There are, actually, a lot of ways to demonstrate your patriotism. Waving the flag is an obvious way, but anything that celebrates your country or makes it stronger is a great display of patriotism. Whenever a country is at war, people are more vocal about their patriotism, playing patriotic songs and making speeches full of national pride. Showing patriotism is so important that politicians will argue with each other about who really has more patriotism.

Keep Reading on Vocabulary.com

Vocabulary lists containing patriotism

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

He said his new bike’s red, white and blue paint job appealed to his sense of patriotism, while its $16,000 sticker price was modest by Harley standards.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 4, 2026

He said military institutions offered valuable lessons in discipline, patriotism, teamwork, accountability and leadership.

From BBC ● Oct. 31, 2026

To his supporters, Vucic represents stability, development and patriotism in a country long overshadowed by the bloody wars of the 1990s and the international isolation that followed.

From Barron's ● Sep. 27, 2026

Last year in the spirit of patriotism, my favorite Toronto coffee shop taped over the menu listing for its Americano to re-dub it a Canadiano.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 13, 2026

Then, as if in slow motion, she tumbles forward, a thrashing avalanche of patriotism and motherhood, crushing three spectators and a table of apple tartlets.

From "Dreaming in Cuban" by Cristina García

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training