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- Dictionarypaladin/ˈpalədɪn/
noun
- 1. any of the twelve peers of Charlemagne's court, of whom the Count Palatine was the chief. historical
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The meaning of PALADIN is a trusted military leader (as for a medieval prince). Did you know?
The term paladin is from Old French, deriving from the Latin comes palatinus (count palatine), a title given to close retainers. The paladins remained a popular subject throughout medieval French literature.
PALADIN definition: 1. (in the past) a very brave knight (= a soldier trained to fight on a horse) 2. (in the past) a…. Learn more.
PALADIN meaning: 1. (in the past) a very brave knight (= a soldier trained to fight on a horse) 2. (in the past) a…. Learn more.
Anyone who fights hard for something they believe in can be called a paladin, although the word has old-fashioned associations. While the French word paladin means warrior, it was used specifically starting in the late 1500s to mean "one of the 12 knights in attendance on Charlemagne."
n. 1. A paragon of chivalry; a heroic champion. 2. A strong supporter or defender of a cause: "the paladin of plain speaking" (Arthur M. Schlesinger, Jr.). 3. Any of the 12 peers of Charlemagne's court. [French, from Italian paladino, from Late Latin palātīnus, palatine; see palatine1.]
The earliest known use of the word paladin is in the late 1500s. OED's earliest evidence for paladin is from 1592, in the writing of Samuel Daniel, poet and historian. paladin is a borrowing from French .
