Definition of "patriot"

Here Tears ſhall flovv from a more gen'rous Cauſe, / Such Tears as Patriots ſhed for dying Lavvs: […]

1712 (date written), [Alexander] Pope, “Prologue, by Mr. Pope. Spoken by Mr. Wilks.”, in [Joseph] Addison, Cato, a Tragedy. […], London: […] J[acob] Tonson, […], published 1713

'My country, right or wrong,' is a thing that no patriot would think of saying except in a desperate case. It is like saying, 'My mother, drunk or sober.'

1901, G[ilbert] K[eith] Chesterton, “A Defence of Patriotism”, in The Defendant, London: R. Brimley Johnson, page 125

The difference between patriotism and nationalism is that the patriot is proud of his country for what it does, and the nationalist is proud of his country no matter what it does; the first attitude creates a feeling of responsibility, but the second a feeling of blind arrogance that leads to war.

1953, Sydney J. Harris, “Purely Personal Prejudices”, in Strictly Personal, Regnery, page 228

Nothing beats a gunboat. HMS Illustrious glided out of Portsmouth on Monday, past HMS Victory and cheering crowds of patriots. Within a week it will be off Gibraltar, a mere cannon shot from Cape Trafalgar.

2013 August 14, Simon Jenkins, The Guardian‎

The aim of patriots, therefore, was to set limits to the power which the ruler should be allowed to exercise over the community.

1859, John Stuart Mill, “(please specify the page)”, in On Liberty, London: John W[illiam] Parker and Son, […]