Meaning

(historical) A fighter or participant in the medieval Crusades..

Definitions by Sense

1. (historical) A fighter or participant in the medieval Crusades.
2. (figurative) A person engaged in a crusade.
3. (Islam, politics, derogatory, Islamism) An American, especially a soldier or leader who wages war against Islamist militants.
4. (Islam, politics, derogatory, Islamism, religious slur) A Westerner; a Christian, especially of European descent or a missionary.
5. (Islam, politics, derogatory, Islamism) (either attributively or in the plural) The United States and its Western allies.

Example Sentences

the crusaders of the Middle Ages

Tony's face expressed relief, and Nettie sat silent for a moment until the vicar said “It was a generous impulse, but it may have been a momentary one, while in the case of monk and crusader there must have been a sustaining purpose, and possibly a great abnegation, a leaving of lands and possessions.”

1998, Osama Bin Ladenhttps://irp.fas.org/world/para/docs/980223-fatwa.htm Second, despite the great devastation inflicted on the Iraqi people by the crusader-Zionist alliance, and despite the huge number of those killed, which has exceeded 1 million... despite all this, the Americans are once against trying to repeat the horrific massacres, as though they are not content with the protracted blockade imposed after the ferocious war or the fragmentation and devastation.

Word Forms

• crusaders

Synonyms for crusader

Related Words

When Should You Use Crusader?

Use crusader when its meaning, tone and grammar fit the full sentence. A synonym is not always a direct replacement.

Practice This Word

Frequently Asked Questions