Patriotism
nounDevotion to and loyal support for one's own country.
How to spell patriotism
10 letters · 5 syllables
How to pronounce patriotism
Say the part in capitals loudest.
What does patriotism mean?
- nounDevotion to and loyal support for one's own country.
Patriotism in a sentence
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The wartime posters were designed to stir public patriotism.
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His speech appealed to a quiet, everyday patriotism rather than loud flag-waving.
Where does patriotism come from?
Language of origin: Greek
The word traces back to the Greek patris, meaning 'fatherland' or 'native country', which itself grew from pater, the ordinary Greek word for 'father'. From patris came patriotes, describing a fellow countryman or someone from the same homeland. Latin borrowed this as patriota, and French shaped it into patriote and the abstract noun patriotisme. English took 'patriot' in the late 1500s and added 'patriotism' in the early 1700s to name the love of and loyalty to one's country. Keeping the 'father' root in mind helps with the spelling, since the word begins patri-, not patro- or petri-, and the awkward middle is simply -ot- followed by the standard -ism ending.
How the word is built
- patri- (from Greek patris: fatherland)
- -ot (from patriotes: fellow countryman)
- -ism (noun suffix denoting a doctrine or sentiment)
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