![]() ![]() American writers of the 18th century, however, heartily embraced the word to define the colonists who took action against British control. The years leading up to the American Revolutionary War further propagated the notion of patriot as a name for a seditious rebel against the monarchy. This ultimately led to the discrediting of the loyalty and steadfastness associated with the word patriot. John Dryden, Fables, Ancient and Modern, 1700Īnother effect of the tumultuous times was the development of a derogatory use of patriot to refer to hypocritical patriots: people who claimed devotion to one's country and government but whose actions or beliefs belied such devotion. Patriot was used to mean "good patriot" without modification more frequently by the end of the 17th century, but it tended to apply to a supporter of the ruling monarchy.Ī Patriot, both the King and Country serves Prerogative, and Privilege preserves. Henry Hammond, A view of some exceptions which have been made by a Romanist to the Lord Viscount Falkland's discourse…, 1646 ![]() The Catholiques were knowne good Patriots under our former Kings. ![]() Ultimately derived from Greek patrios, meaning "of one’s father," patriot entered English via French patriote-meaning "fellow countryman" or " compatriot"-during a time of political unrest in western Europe that was characterized by infighting among fellow countrymen-especially among those of the Protestant and Catholic faiths.įor much of the 17th century, words like good were attached to patriot to distinguish patriots who shared both a love of country and a common allegiance from those having opposing beliefs and loyalties: to be deemed a "good patriot" was to be a lover of country who agreed on political and/or religious matters with whoever was doing the deeming. That meaning has endured since the word's arrival in English in the 16th century, but it has not marched through the years unchallenged. The word patriot signifies a person who loves his or her country and is ready to boldly support and defend it. ![]()
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