patron saint

American  

noun

• patron saints
  plural

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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Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• patron saints
  plural

Etymology

Origin of patron saint

First recorded in 1710–20

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

patron saint

Ceuta's regional government cancelled the city's annual patron saint festivities, which were due to begin on Saturday, due to the "current circumstances".

From Barron's ● Jul. 31, 2026

This involves choosing a patron saint, and Michael speaks with the wild enthusiasm of a Marvel movie fanboy about his likely decision, St. George, who endures various grisly tortures but remains steadfast.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 29, 2026

The rock star became the immigrant-run restaurant’s unlikely patron saint, calling on her relationship with then-Gov.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 14, 2026

Mid-morning shoppers give the dragon, who was, of course, slain in the legend by England's patron saint, sympathetic looks.

From BBC ● Jun. 5, 2026

“Is that he that hath fed on honeydew? Is that my saintly, sugarcoated brother, projected hero of the first game? The patron saint of jump shots?”

From "The Great Santini" by Pat Conroy

Related Words

• guardian angel