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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
Hailey Bieber, the patron saint of nails, has finally given us the opportunity to copy her manicure without working harder than usual.
—
Arancha Gamo, Glamour, 2 Feb. 2025
The Supreme Court has agreed to decide whether Oklahoma can open St. Isidore: an online Roman Catholic charter school named after the patron saint of the internet.
—
Charles J. Russo, The Conversation, 31 Jan. 2025
The Virgin Mary was the patron saint of Siena, memorialized by Ambrogio Lorenzetti in his masterpiece fresco in the city.
—
Jerry Saltz, Vulture, 18 Oct. 2024
Reagan’s June 2004 state funeral, presided over by George W. Bush in the midst of his re-election campaign, felt less like a farewell than a feast day for the modern Republican Party’s patron saint.
—
Jonathan Darman, airmail.news, 14 Sep. 2024
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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 16 Feb. 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
Nglish: Translation of patron saint for Spanish Speakers
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about patron saint
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