paladin
noun
pal·a·din ˈpa-lə-dən 
1
: a trusted military leader (as for a medieval prince)
2
: a leading champion of a cause
Did you know?
In ancient Rome, the emperor's palace was located on the Palatine Hill, known as Palatium in Latin. Since the site was the seat of imperial power, the word palatium came to mean "imperial" and later "imperial official." Different forms of the word passed through Latin, Italian, and French, picking up various meanings along the way, and eventually some of those forms made their way into English. Paladin is one of the etymological heirs of palatium; another descendant is the word palace.
Synonyms
- advocate
- advocator
- apostle
- backer
- booster
- champion
- espouser
- exponent
- expounder
- friend
- gospeler
- gospeller
- herald
- hierophant
- high priest
- promoter
- proponent
- protagonist
- supporter
- true believer
- tub-thumper
- white knight
See all Synonyms & Antonyms 
Example Sentences
an idealistic paladin seeking better treatment for the homeless
Recent Examples on the Web One of our recent books has a trans man paladin on the cover. 
Cecilia D'anastasio, Wired, 19 Oct. 2021 Samara is this universe’s approximation of a paladin, a Justicar. Jhaan Elker, Washington Post, 4 June 2021 But who was this paladin of the West going to protect civilization from? Kanishk Tharoor, The New Republic, 22 Feb. 2021 President Donald Trump, who has seized on the protests to recast himself as a paladin of order, said in tweet Tuesday afternoon that the incursion was reason to bring soldiers into the city. Max Abelson, Bloomberg.com, 3 June 2020 The more productive theater of the Chicken Sandwich War has played out among Twitter's paladins, with random users dragging Bojangles' and invoking the unassailable opinions of the ultimate chicken sandwich deciders: their grandmothers. Aj Willingham, CNN, 20 Aug. 2019 Her first character was a priest of Mystra in the 2nd Edition, and her favorite character is a 3.5 Edition half-dragon monk that is now a paladin. Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, 5 Aug. 2018 In Book One: A Journey Through the Heavens, a hidden celestial kingdom faces its greatest adversary as a paladin from beyond the blue uncovers a secret that could unravel their very existence. Tara Knight, The Root, 13 May 2018 In short order, this and his agrarian subject matter combined with a national mood of restive nostalgia to make Wood a paladin—routinely yoked with the Missourian Thomas Hart Benton and the Kansan John Steuart Curry—of anti-modernist regionalism. Steven Strogatz, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2018 See More
Cecilia D'anastasio, Wired, 19 Oct. 2021 Samara is this universe’s approximation of a paladin, a Justicar. Jhaan Elker, Washington Post, 4 June 2021 But who was this paladin of the West going to protect civilization from? Kanishk Tharoor, The New Republic, 22 Feb. 2021 President Donald Trump, who has seized on the protests to recast himself as a paladin of order, said in tweet Tuesday afternoon that the incursion was reason to bring soldiers into the city. Max Abelson, Bloomberg.com, 3 June 2020 The more productive theater of the Chicken Sandwich War has played out among Twitter's paladins, with random users dragging Bojangles' and invoking the unassailable opinions of the ultimate chicken sandwich deciders: their grandmothers. Aj Willingham, CNN, 20 Aug. 2019 Her first character was a priest of Mystra in the 2nd Edition, and her favorite character is a 3.5 Edition half-dragon monk that is now a paladin. Justin L. Mack, Indianapolis Star, 5 Aug. 2018 In Book One: A Journey Through the Heavens, a hidden celestial kingdom faces its greatest adversary as a paladin from beyond the blue uncovers a secret that could unravel their very existence. Tara Knight, The Root, 13 May 2018 In short order, this and his agrarian subject matter combined with a national mood of restive nostalgia to make Wood a paladin—routinely yoked with the Missourian Thomas Hart Benton and the Kansan John Steuart Curry—of anti-modernist regionalism. Steven Strogatz, The New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2018 See More Word History
Etymology
Middle French, from Italian paladino, from Old French palatin, from Medieval Latin palatinus courtier, from Late Latin, imperial official — more at palatine
First Known Use
1592, in the meaning defined at sense 1
paladins
noun
as in advocators
a person who actively supports or favors a cause an idealistic paladin seeking better treatment for the homeless Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
- advocators
- proponents
- advocates
- supporters
- champions
- protagonists
- exponents
- hierophants
- white knights
- gospellers
- espousers
- promoters
- apostles
- true believers
- high priests
- friends
- heralds
- boosters
- loyalists
- expounders
- gospelers
- adherents
- tub-thumpers
- backers
- disciples
- partisans
- interpreters
- stalwarts
- cheerleaders
- partizans
- followers
- fellow travelers
- cohorts
- encouragers
- applauders
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
- enemies
- opponents
- antagonists
- adversaries
- foes
- rivals
- critics
- belittlers
- faultfinders