-
- To save this word, you'll need to log in.
patron saint
noun
1
: a saint to whose protection and intercession a person, a society, a church, or a place is dedicated
2
: an original leader or prime exemplar
Synonyms
Examples of patron saint in a Sentence
St. David is the patron saint of Wales.
St. Christopher is the patron saint of travelers.
The success of her books has made her the patron saint of a new literary movement.
Recent Examples on the Web
Sonic Youth, patron saints of the indie scene with no small pop-culture fetish of their own, worshipped them, as their cofounder Thurston Moore says in the doc; members of Soundgarden and other Seattle bands speak reverentially of their shows in the area.
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 21 May 2024
Toward the end of the month, a feast day celebrating the island’s patron saint can cause traffic jams on the roads leading into Zakynthos Town.
—Helen Iatrou, Travel + Leisure, 16 May 2024
The city also celebrates its patron saint, St. John the Baptist, on June 24 with a game of Calcio Storico, a mix of rugby, soccer, and wrestling, with participants wearing 16th-century costumes.
—Laura Itzkowitz, Travel + Leisure, 11 May 2024
That evening, the church was packed with people who had come from all corners of the Orthodox world for the annual Feast of Saint Andrew, the Phanar’s patron saint.
—Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 10 Apr. 2024
Many small towns and villages celebrate their patron saints or local products with events that attract both residents and visitors curious to experience the Amalfi Coast like a local.
—Sara Magro, Condé Nast Traveler, 6 Apr. 2024
The timing of the news was thoughtful as March 1 is St. David’s Day, the feast day celebrating Wales' patron saint.
—Janine Henni, Peoplemag, 1 Mar. 2024
The day is also often referred to as St. Brigid’s Day, referring to the Celtic goddess Brigantia, as well as Ireland’s patron saint, also a Christian saint, Brigid of Kildare.
—Marina Johnson, The Courier-Journal, 29 Jan. 2024
Francesca Moretti, Bellavista’s winemaker, explains that each year on December 7, the feast day of Milan’s patron saint, Sant’Ambrogio, the new season opens at Teatro alla Scala with a premiere.
—Mike Desimone and Jeff Jenssen, Robb Report, 29 Dec. 2023
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patron saint.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Dictionary Entries Near patron saint
Cite this Entry
“Patron saint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patron%20saint. Accessed 28 May. 2024.
Kids Definition
patron saint
noun
: a saint to whom a person, society, church, or place is dedicated
More from Merriam-Webster on patron saint
Nglish: Translation of patron saint for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about patron saint
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share