patron saint

American  

noun

1. a saint regarded as the special guardian of a person, group, trade, country, etc.

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patron saint British  

noun

1. a saint regarded as the particular guardian of a country, church, trade, person, etc

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patron saint Cultural  

1. A saint from whom a person or group claims special protection or prayers. Saint Christopher, for example, is considered the patron of travelers; Saint Luke, the patron of doctors; and Saint Patrick, the patron of Ireland. People who have the same name as a saint may consider the saint their patron. The honoring of patron saints is especially common in the Roman Catholic Church.

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Etymology

Origin of patron saint

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

With their help, the conference can put its money where its mouth is, as the patron saint of world-changing upstarts.

From Slate • May 8, 2026

Our twisted version of a capitalist guardian angel, patron saint of spandex in a cropped matching set.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 17, 2026

The club also celebrates Saint Barbara, the patron saint of miners, by wearing a commemorative shirt every year during an early-December home match.

From BBC • Apr. 10, 2026

Just as Pilates has a patron saint in Joseph Pilates, the field of somatics has the late Thomas Hanna, a philosopher and student of neurology who coined the term in 1976.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 19, 2026

Joseph had learned something about shipwrecks as a pupil at St. Anthony’s, which was named after the patron saint of shipwrecks and lost things.

From "The Marvels" by Brian Selznick

Related Words

• guardian angel