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
Dedicated to Dom Bosco, the patron saint of Brasília, the church is one of the city’s most significant spiritual sites.
—
Greyson Ferguson, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, Mavis’ covers of songwriters who could be her grandchildren (indie rocker Kevin Morby, Frank Ocean), is a nod to her recent role as patron saint of for several younger generations.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Joan of Arc, the legendary warrior and patron saint of France, is said to have prayed at the chapel in 1429.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The day, which honors the patron saint of shoemakers whose legend stretches back to the 8th century, is one that John Lobb has celebrated since 1996.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
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.
Greyson Ferguson, Travel + Leisure, 5 Nov. 2025
Meanwhile, Mavis’ covers of songwriters who could be her grandchildren (indie rocker Kevin Morby, Frank Ocean), is a nod to her recent role as patron saint of for several younger generations.
—Jonathan Bernstein, Rolling Stone, 4 Nov. 2025
Joan of Arc, the legendary warrior and patron saint of France, is said to have prayed at the chapel in 1429.
—Kelly Meyerhofer, jsonline.com, 29 Oct. 2025
The day, which honors the patron saint of shoemakers whose legend stretches back to the 8th century, is one that John Lobb has celebrated since 1996.
—Stephen Garner, Footwear News, 27 Oct. 2025
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 11 Nov. 2025.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share