patron saint

noun

Definition of patron saint

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

People place yellow roses on a memorial for jailed separatists, whom independence supporters consider to be political prisoners, as Catalans celebrate the day of their patron saint, Spain, Monday, April 23, 2018. — Washington Post, "Political overtone at Catalan celebration of patron saint," 23 Apr. 2018 After weeks of anticipation, Catherine, the Duchess of Cambridge, and her husband Prince William have welcomed the birth of their third child — a baby boy, born on none other than St. George’s Day, the day of England’s patron saint. — Kate Samuelson, Time, "The Royal Baby Was Born on St. George's Day. Here's Why That's Significant," 23 Apr. 2018 Her parents are Mexican; Mexico’s patron saint, Our Lady of Guadalupe, also loomed large. — Cate Mcquaid, BostonGlobe.com, "Meet six talented art-school grads," 27 Apr. 2018 And who specifically are their patron saints of style? — Brooke Bobb, Vogue, "Watch: Kate Moss, Bella Hadid, and Co. Confess Their Fashion Sins at the Met Gala," 10 May 2018 Among a couple other professions in his purview, Saint Augustine (of Hippo) is the patron saint of brewers. — Jr Radcliffe, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "Meme of Brewers broadcaster Augustine becoming familiar Twitter visual after Brewers victories," 8 May 2018 Ryan Reynolds, patron saint of the nothing-to-see-here distressed jean, is proof that old classics always look incredibly good. — Megan Gustashaw, GQ, "The Jeans Stylish Guys Can’t Stop Repeat-Buying," 8 Mar. 2018 Bella Hadid, patron saint of naked dresses, has done it again. — Andrea Park, Teen Vogue, "Bella Hadid Wears Completely Sheer Skirt to Dior Backstage Launch Event," 8 June 2018 Each statue represented a patron saint of the parishes of the Diocese of Baker, and the busts were carved into log pillars of the church. — Katy Moeller, idahostatesman, "Father Faucher's fall from grace: Once a respected priest, now he holds Mass in jail," 4 June 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'patron saint.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.