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

The patron saint of the NBA Play-In Tournament has gone missing. —Bennett Durando, Denver Post, 15 Apr. 2026

Your baby will share a name with the patron saint of Paris. —Lydia Wang, Parents, 12 Apr. 2026

Monaco’s princess brides leave their bouquets at the Sainte-Dévote Chapel dedicated to the principality’s patron saint. —Bailey Bujnosek, InStyle, 11 Apr. 2026

During the Catholic holiday of Palm Sunday, hundreds of pajareros from across the country flock to Mexico City and decorate 10-foot-tall stacks of cages, adorning them with bright flowers, tinsel and images of the Virgin of Guadalupe, Mexico’s patron saint. —ABC News, 29 Mar. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1703, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Rhymes for patron saint

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

Kids Definition

patron saint

noun

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