crusader

American  

[kroo-seyd-er] / kruˈseɪd ər /

noun

1. Often Crusader a participant in any of the crusades or military expeditions undertaken with papal sanction by the Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries in an effort to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims.

   Orders of monks who were also knights became the "storm troops" of the Christian crusaders.

2. a participant in any vigorous movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause, etc..

   Nepal's most prominent crusader for equal rights for sexual minorities was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize.

---

Etymology

Origin of crusader

crusade ( def. ) + -er ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

There is something of the crusader about Ms. Dhillon, and religion plays a notable role in her life.

From The Wall Street Journal

But unlike that Oscar winner, “Two Prosecutors” has a man of conscience at its center — a confident crusader who becomes increasingly puny in the face of Stalin’s Soviet Union.

From Los Angeles Times

Jane Fonda, the renowned actor and political crusader, has made air quality a target of her protests.

From Los Angeles Times

For nearly a century, the Oscar statuette has been Hollywood’s most enduring symbol of success, a gold-plated knight gripping a crusader’s sword, designed to look as permanent as the honor it represents.

From Los Angeles Times

The spread of this new orthodoxy shouldn’t be surprising, for as the author notes, “insatiability is a defining feature of moral crusades. As crusaders achieve victories, they expand the scope of their crusade.”

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• agitator
• campaigner
• zealot