crusader
noun
cru·sad·er
krü-ˈsā-dər 
plural crusaders
: one who engages in a crusade: such as
a
Crusader
: a person who participated in any of the military expeditions undertaken by Christian powers in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries to win the Holy Land from the Muslims
This is religion as the Crusaders knew it: a battle to the death for souls that if not saved will be forever lost.—
Benjamin R. Barber
Benjamin R. BarberCleanliness improved during the Middle Ages—particularly after the Crusaders imported the Turkish bath.—Winifred Gallagher
Winifred GallagherThen the church was looted by the Christian crusaders from the West, who converted it for fifty-seven years to the Roman Catholic ritual.—Mario Salvadori
Mario Salvadori
b
: a person who makes an impassioned and sustained effort to bring about social or political change
human rights crusaders
an anti-government crusader
Black women lawyers early on were in the forefront of the civil rights struggle. Many women attorneys were crusaders for the poor and needy …—Rita E. Hauser
Rita E. HauserExamples of crusader in a Sentence
a crusader for improved safety in coal mines
Recent Examples on the Web
Austin’s disappearance transformed his mother, Debra, into a geopolitical crusader overnight.
—Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
While the action-awareness gap isn’t lost on climate crusaders and corporate comptrollers alike, most climate solutions for reduction start with sentience—fashion included, and no, not just in trend forecasting.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 16 Oct. 2025
The first biography of the writer, and an engaging one at that, the book narrates how a child of privilege evolved into an esteemed naturalist-writer and a crusader for various left-wing causes.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine crusader before taking on the nation's top health post, has linked vaccines to autism and sought to rewrite the country's immunization policies.
—Reuters, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crusader
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Rob Picheta, CNN Money, 28 Oct. 2025
While the action-awareness gap isn’t lost on climate crusaders and corporate comptrollers alike, most climate solutions for reduction start with sentience—fashion included, and no, not just in trend forecasting.
—Alexandra Harrell, Sourcing Journal, 16 Oct. 2025
The first biography of the writer, and an engaging one at that, the book narrates how a child of privilege evolved into an esteemed naturalist-writer and a crusader for various left-wing causes.
—Maggie Doherty, New Yorker, 13 Oct. 2025
Kennedy, a long-time anti-vaccine crusader before taking on the nation's top health post, has linked vaccines to autism and sought to rewrite the country's immunization policies.
—Reuters, USA Today, 7 Oct. 2025
See All Example Sentences for crusader
Cite this Entry
“Crusader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crusader. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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