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

Synonyms of patron saint

• model
• idea
• example
• incarnation
• ideal

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

Venerated as the patron saint of England and of Georgia, he is often depicted as slaying a dragon. — Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Oct. 2026

Fifty-five years after her cinematic debut, Jeanne has become something like the patron saint of femcels. — Alison Foreman, IndieWire, 26 Oct. 2026

Nominally this was a Christian feast day of Saint Brigid, patron saint of poetry and lambing, who was said to have lived in Ireland in the late fifth century. — Literary Hub, 21 Oct. 2026

Forty-six years after his death, Steve McQueen is still considered the King of Cool, a patron saint for adventurous desperados everywhere. — Hadley Hall Meares, Vanity Fair, 20 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for patron saint

• acquaint
• complaint
• constraint
• distraint
• repaint
• restraint
• faint
• feint
• maint
• paint
• plaint
• quaint

Kids Definition

patron saint

noun

: a saint to whom a person, society, church, or place is dedicated