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
The performance was partly inspired by the Italian patron saint processions Mesiti grew up attending with her immigrant Calabrian family in Sydney.
—
Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026
The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Its patron saints, in modern times, have been Portuguese winger Ricardo Quaresma and Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 13 June 2026
The group’s name was created in reverence to Saint Genesius, the patron saint of actors.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for patron saint
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.
Devorah Lauter, ARTnews.com, 16 June 2026
The patron saint of the 2024 Democratic National Convention was Fannie Lou Hamer—recalcitrant sharecropper turned agitator and, like the Democratic presidential nominee, a black woman.
—Ta-Nehisi Coates, Vanity Fair, 15 June 2026
Its patron saints, in modern times, have been Portuguese winger Ricardo Quaresma and Croatian midfielder Luka Modrić.
—Tom Williams, New York Times, 13 June 2026
The group’s name was created in reverence to Saint Genesius, the patron saint of actors.
—Anna Ortiz, Chicago Tribune, 13 June 2026
See All Example Sentences for patron saint
Cite this Entry
“Patron saint.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patron%20saint. Accessed 25 Jun. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
