crusader

noun

cru·​sad·​er krü-ˈsā-dər How to pronounce crusader (audio)
plural crusaders
: 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.
Anti-pornography crusaders are on a winning streak. Pilar Melendez, NBC news, 22 June 2025 Created in the 12th century by the Knights of St. John, the celebrated Krak is considered the epitome of a crusader castle in the Middle East and one of the greatest statements of medieval military architecture. Cnn.com Wire Service, Mercury News, 10 June 2025 Bono laid bare his transformation from Dublin lad Paul Hewson into a global rock star and human rights crusader in his memoir Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story. Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 15 May 2025 One of the tax’s principal backers was Alvah Chapman, a former Miami Herald publisher and homeless crusader. Max Klaver, Miami Herald, 20 Mar. 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 13 Jul. 2025.

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