crusade

1 of 2

noun

cru·​sade krü-ˈsād 

1

capitalized : any of the military expeditions undertaken by Christian powers in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries to win the Holy Land from the Muslims

2

: a remedial enterprise undertaken with zeal and enthusiasm

a crusade against drunk driving

crusade

2 of 2

verb

crusaded; crusading

intransitive verb

: to engage in a crusade

Did you know?

In 1095, when Palestinian lands were held by Muslims, Pope Urban II exhorted Christians to reclaim the Holy Sepulchre and other venerated sites. Those who responded wore crosses of cloth on their breasts to identify themselves as soldiers in Christ’s army. Medieval French words for such holy wars were croisement, croiserie, croisée, and croisade, all derivatives of crois, meaning “cross.” In the 18th century, long after the crusades themselves had ceased, English borrowed both French croisade and the Spanish cruzado (likewise formed from a word meaning “cross”), blending the two to produce crusade.

Synonyms

Noun

• bandwagon
• blitz
• campaign
• cause
• drive
• juggernaut
• movement
• push

Examples of crusade in a Sentence

Noun

a grassroots crusade for spending more money on our public schools

Recent Examples on the Web

Noun

Billionaires Bill Ackman and Elon Musk are among the anti-DEI crusade’s most outspoken advocates. —Conor Murray, Forbes, 13 Jan. 2025

The Protection of Women and Girls in Sports Act has been a years-long crusade for the Alabama Republican, who originally introduced it in 2023. —Ryan Morik, Fox News, 10 Jan. 2025

Verb

The veteran action star is convincing and charismatic as a cop who quits the force to become a crusading Department of Justice prosecutor but is let down by a screenplay that’s prone to bouts of melodrama in and out of the courtroom. —Richard Kuipers, Variety, 10 Jan. 2025

The fiercest foe of Russian President Vladimir Putin who crusaded against official corruption and staged massive anti-Kremlin protests. —Ryan Hogg, Fortune, 3 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Noun and Verb

blend of Middle French croisade & Spanish cruzada; both ultimately from Latin cruc-, crux cross

First Known Use

Noun

1672, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Verb

1708, in the meaning defined above

Kids Definition

crusade

1 of 2 noun

cru·​sade krü-ˈsād 

1

capitalized : any of the military expeditions made by Christian countries in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries to recover the Holy Land from the Muslims

2

: a campaign to get things changed for the better

a crusade against crime

crusade

2 of 2 verb

crusaded; crusading

: to take part in a crusade

crusader noun

Etymology

Noun

derived from early French croisade and Spanish cruzada, both meaning literally "an expedition of persons marked with or bearing the sign of the cross" and both derived from Latin cruc-, crux "cross" — related to cross