A person devoted to the well-being and principles of their country.
Reach for it when praising civic loyalty expressed through service or responsible action
The quiet patriot spent decades defending fair elections and public schools.
| everyday | |
|---|---|
| warm | |
| professional | |
| formal |
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| literary |
everyday
citizen
Fits when legal membership or civic participation is enough
Careful Citizen names a status and makes no claim about devotion.
warm
civic-minded person
Fits when practical service to community is being praised
Careful Civic-minded describes local responsibility without necessarily invoking country.
professional
nationalist
Fits when political priority for the nation is intended
Careful Nationalist may suggest superiority or exclusion, which patriot need not carry.
professional
public servant
Fits when official service is the evidence being recognized
Careful Public servant names a role; many patriots never hold public office.
formal
loyalist
Fits when allegiance to a government or cause is the point
Careful Loyalist can imply support for those in power rather than care for the country.
literary
countryman
Fits when shared national origin matters
Careful Countryman can simply mean compatriot and says nothing about loyalty.
a true patriot
A true patriot, she criticized corruption because she wanted the country to thrive.
fellow patriot
Each fellow patriot brought a different tradition to the national celebration.
patriot devoted to reform
The patriot devoted to reform refused to confuse loyalty with silence.
Definitions and examples are written for this site. How words are chosen Recording: Vealhurl, Southern England accent, from Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 Updated
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