crusade

UK: /kruːˈseɪd/ US: /kruˈseɪd/ ,(kro̅o̅ sād′)

Inflections of 'crusade' (v): (⇒ conjugate)

crusades

v 3rd person singular

crusading

v pres p

crusaded

v past

crusaded

v past p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2025

cru•sade /kruˈseɪd/   n., v., -sad•ed, -sad•ing. 
n. [countable]

1. World History [often: Crusade] any of the military campaigns or wars undertaken by the Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims.
2. a strong movement, campaign, or activity on behalf of a cause:
   a literacy crusade.

v. [no object]

3. to go on or take part in a crusade:
   She was crusading for more aid to the unemployed.

cru•sad•er, n. [countable]

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025

cru•sade  (kro̅o̅ sād′), n., v., -sad•ed, -sad•ing. 
n. 

1. World History (often cap.) any of the military expeditions undertaken by the Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslims.
2. World History any war carried on under papal sanction.
3. any vigorous, aggressive movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause, etc.:
   a crusade against child abuse.

v.i. 

4. to go on or engage in a crusade.

• Middle French. See cross, -ade¹
• Spanish cruzada; replacing croisade
• earlier crusada 1570–80

cru•sad′er, n. 

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

crusade / kruːˈseɪd/ noun

1. (often capital) any of the military expeditions undertaken in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries by the Christian powers of Europe to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims
2. (formerly) any holy war undertaken on behalf of a religious cause
3. a vigorous and dedicated action or movement in favour of a cause

verb (intransitive)

1. to campaign vigorously for something
2. to go on a crusade

Etymology: 16th Century: from earlier croisade, from Old French crois cross, from Latin crux; influenced also by Spanish cruzada, from cruzar to take up the cross

cruˈsader noun