Word forms: plural, 3rd person singular presenttense crusades, present participle crusading, past tense, past participle crusaded
1. countable noun [NOUN to-infinitive]
A crusade is a long and determined attempt to achieve something for a cause that you feel strongly about.
Footballers launched an unprecedented crusade against racism on the terraces. [+ against/for]
He made it his crusade to teach children to love books.
Synonyms: campaign, drive, movement, cause More Synonyms of crusade
2. verb
If you crusade for a particular cause, you make a long and determined effort to achieve something for it.
...a newspaper that has crusaded against the country's cocaine traffickers. [V + against/for]
...an adopted boy whose cause is taken up by a crusading lawyer. [VERB-ing]
Synonyms: campaign, fight, push, struggle More Synonyms of crusade
3. plural proper noun
The Crusades were the wars that were fought by Christians in Palestine against the Muslims during the eleventh, twelfth, and thirteenth centuries.
crusade in British English
(kruːˈseɪd)
noun
1. (often capital)
any of the military expeditions undertaken in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries by the Christian powers of Europe to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims
2.
(formerly) any holy war undertaken on behalf of a religious cause
3.
a vigorous and dedicated action or movement in favour of a cause
verb(intransitive)
4.
to campaign vigorously for something
5.
to go on a crusade
Derived forms
crusader (cruˈsader)
noun
Word origin
C16: from earlier croisade, from Old French crois cross, from Latin crux; influenced also by Spanish cruzada, from cruzar to take up the cross
crusade in American English
(kruˈseɪd)
noun
1. [sometimesC-]
any of the military expeditions which Christians undertook from the 11th to the endof the 13th cent. to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims
2.
a vigorous, concerted action for some cause or idea, or against some abuse
verb intransitiveWord forms: cruˈsaded or cruˈsading
3.
to engage in a crusade
Derived forms
crusader (cruˈsader)
noun
Word origin
< Sp cruzada, altered after Fr croisade, both < ML cruciata < pp. of cruciare, to mark with a cross < L crux, cross
COBUILD Collocations
crusade
moral crusade
Examples of 'crusade' in a sentence
crusade
That followed public outrage at his soft justice crusade last year.
The Sun (2012)
Innocent declared that he was prepared to lead the crusade personally.
John Freely JEM SULTAN: The Adventures of a Captive Turkish Prince in Renaissance Europe (2004)
Pointing this out is sometimes all it takes to launch the conservation crusade.
Times, Sunday Times (2008)
He has taken on the challenge with crusading zeal.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Yet he was drawing them together in almost a religious crusade.
Christianity Today (2000)
But the timing for launching a presidential crusade could not have been worse.
Goddard, Stephen B. Getting There: The Epic Struggle between Road and Rail in the American Century (1994)
He will promise a new crusade to help thousands of offenders turn their back on crime.
The Sun (2013)
It is a religious crusade for him.
Times, Sunday Times (2010)
He was a one-man crusade against injustice.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
Running a charity can't become a personal crusade.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
He harnessed his new-found zeal to a crusade against vice.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
With the terrified rats fighting back, a crusade is launched.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
I'm going to take it on as a personal crusade.
Times, Sunday Times (2013)
He waged a one-man crusade to see his then four-year-old daughter.
The Sun (2006)
So, he decides to take legal action against the almighty, aided by a crusading lawyer.
The Sun (2011)
It inspired her to write, and it's been a personal crusade since.
Times, Sunday Times (2007)
So far their filing of charges has been limited to targets in the Americas and the Caribbean but perhaps their crusading zeal will infect other continents.
Times, Sunday Times (2015)
In other languages
crusade
British English: crusade NOUN
A crusade is a long and determined attempt to achieve something for a cause that you feel strongly about.
Footballers launched an unprecedented crusade against racism on the terraces.
American English: crusade
Brazilian Portuguese: cruzada
Chinese: > 努力奋斗长期而坚定的
European Spanish: cruzada
French: croisade
German: Feldzug
Italian: crociata
Japanese: 熱心な活動
Korean: > 운동대의를 위한
European Portuguese: cruzada
Latin American Spanish: cruzada
British English: crusade VERB
If you crusade for a particular cause, you make a long and determined effort to achieve something for it.
...a newspaper that has crusaded against the country's cocaine traffickers.
American English: crusade
Brazilian Portuguese: fazer uma cruzada
Chinese: > 努力奋斗长期而坚定的
European Spanish: hacer campaña
French: faire campagne
German: einen Feldzug machen
Italian: fare una crociata
Japanese: 改革運動を行う
Korean: 운동을 벌이다
European Portuguese: fazer uma cruzada
Latin American Spanish: hacer campaña
(noun)
Definition
a vigorous campaign in favour of a cause
a crusade against racism
Synonyms
campaign
The General's campaign against the militia has so far failed.
drive
the drive towards democracy
movement
He contributed to the Movement for the Ordination of Women.
cause
His comments have done nothing to help the cause of peace.
push (informal)
All that was needed was one final push, and the enemy would be vanquished once and for all.
(verb)
Definition
to take part in a crusade
a newspaper that has crusaded against drug traffickers
Synonyms
campaign
We are campaigning for law reform.
fight
He had to fight hard for his place in the team.
push
struggle
The shopkeeper struggled with the intruder for some time before the intruder ran off.
lobby
Gun control advocates are lobbying hard for new laws.
agitate
The women had begun to agitate for better conditions.
work
a performer with the ability to work an audience
Additional synonyms
in the sense of agitate
Definition
to attempt to stir up public opinion for or against something
The women had begun to agitate for better conditions.
Synonyms
protest,
campaign,
push,
demonstrate,
drive,
crusade,
cry out
in the sense of cause
Definition
an aim or principle which an individual or group is interested in and supports
His comments have done nothing to help the cause of peace.
Synonyms
aim,
movement,
purpose,
principle,
object,
ideal,
enterprise,
end
in the sense of drive
Definition
a special effort made by a group of people for a particular purpose