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

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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
He was known as the patron saint of animals — and his tomb in Assisi became a major pilgrimage site during the Middle Ages. Andrea Margolis, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025 The last woman to leave the camps, a 33-year-old named Margarita Uría Rodríguez, departed carrying an image of la Caridad del Cobre, the Virgin of Charity and Cuba’s patron saint, which had kept watch over the refugee tent city called Camp Bravo. Miriam Pensack, The Dial, 30 Sep. 2025 On social media, graduate degree holders will eagerly tell you that Britain’s patron saint is Turkish, its alphabet Roman, its religion Middle Eastern, and its royal family German. Will Collins, The Washington Examiner, 19 Sep. 2025 She was canonized in 1267 and became the patron saint of brides, widows, the poor and those whose children have died. Lou Ponsi, Oc Register, 19 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for patron saint

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of patron saint was in 1703

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Cite this Entry

“Patron saint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patron%20saint. Accessed 18 Oct. 2025.

Kids Definition

patron saint

noun
: a saint to whom a person, society, church, or place is dedicated

More from Merriam-Webster on patron saint

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