Standard Lemma guide

paladin

noun · 4 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot

Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.

Sound

Pronunciation

Each Play button uses your device's default local English voice, or a natural local fallback. The selected voice name appears after playback. This is synthesized speech, not a source recording.

  • /ˈpælədɪn/
  • US: Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
  • CMU ARPABET: P AE1 L AH0 D IH0 N Digits mark lexical stress: 1 primary, 2 secondary, 0 unstressed.

1

noun

Meaning 1

A heroic champion, especially a knight.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

2

noun

Meaning 2

A defender or advocate of a noble cause.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

3

noun

Meaning 3

Any of the twelve Companions of the court of Emperor Charlemagne.

Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: none provided

Antonyms: none provided

4

noun

Meaning 4

someone who fights for a cause

Definition source: Princeton WordNet 3.0

No example sentence was provided for this meaning.

Meaning relationships

Synonyms: champion, fighter, hero

Antonyms: none provided

Broader terms: defender, guardian, protector, shielder

History

Etymology

Borrowed from French paladin, from Italian paladino, from Late Latin palātīnus (“palace officer”), derived from palātium (“palace”). Doublet of palatine.

Across languages

Translations

36 source translations are retained for this English entry.

  • Catalan: paladí — heroic champion
  • Chinese Cantonese: 聖騎士 /圣骑士 (sing3 ke4 si6) — heroic champion
  • Czech: paladin — heroic champion
  • Dutch: paladijn — heroic champion
  • French: paladin — heroic champion
  • French: paladins — heroic champion
  • German: Paladin — heroic champion
  • Greek: ιππότης (ippótis) — heroic champion
  • Greek: παλαδίνος (paladínos) — heroic champion
  • Ido: paladino — heroic champion
  • Irish: palaidín — heroic champion
  • Italian: paladino — heroic champion
  • Italian: paladina — heroic champion
  • Latin: pugnator — heroic champion
  • Latin: pugnatrix — heroic champion
  • Macedonian: па́ладин (páladin) — heroic champion
  • Polish: paladyn — heroic champion
  • Portuguese: paladino — heroic champion
  • Russian: паладин (paladin) — heroic champion
  • Serbo-Croatian: paladin — heroic champion
  • Slovene: paladin — heroic champion
  • Spanish: paladín — heroic champion
  • Ottoman Turkish: آلپ (alp) — heroic champion
  • Ottoman Turkish: یكیت (yigit) — heroic champion
  • Ottoman Turkish: قهرمان (kahraman) — heroic champion
  • Ottoman Turkish: قوچاق (koçak) — heroic champion
  • Ottoman Turkish: پهلوان (pehlevân, pehlivân) — heroic champion
  • Catalan: paladí — defender or advocate of a noble cause
  • Chinese Mandarin: 圣骑士 (shèngqíshì) — defender or advocate of a noble cause
  • German: Beschützer — defender or advocate of a noble cause
  • German: Vorkämpfer — defender or advocate of a noble cause
  • German: Fürsprecher — defender or advocate of a noble cause
  • German: Verfechter — defender or advocate of a noble cause
  • Macedonian: хра́брец (hrábrec) — defender or advocate of a noble cause
  • Spanish: paladín — defender or advocate of a noble cause
  • Spanish: defensor — defender or advocate of a noble cause