crusader

noun

cru·​sad·​er krü-ˈsā-dər How to pronounce crusader (audio)
plural crusaders
Synonyms of crusadernext
: 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
Cleanliness improved during the Middle Ages—particularly after the Crusaders imported the Turkish bath.Winifred Gallagher
Then 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
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

Examples of crusader in a Sentence

a crusader for improved safety in coal mines
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.
Last month, Gaines’ pecuniary gains were at the center of an 80-minute episode of the investigative sports podcast, Pablo Torre Finds Out, which cast her as a profiteer posing as a crusader for women. Daniel Libit, Sportico.com, 23 Dec. 2025 Greenberg wasn’t just a critic but a crusader. Zachary Fine, New Yorker, 22 Dec. 2025 From anti-porn crusaders to major Statehouse players Founded in the basement of College Hill Presbyterian Church in Cincinnati in 1983, CCV, then called Citizens for Community Values, was waging culture wars before they were even called culture wars. Victoria Moorwood, Cincinnati Enquirer, 14 Dec. 2025 While some supporters have embraced him as an anti-capitalist crusader, Mangione's stops at a Manhattan Starbucks and the Pennsylvania McDonald's both played a role in his capture, according to prosecutors. Michael Ruiz, FOXNews.com, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crusader

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1701, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crusader was circa 1701

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Cite this Entry

“Crusader.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crusader. Accessed 25 Dec. 2025.

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