PAT'RIOTISM ,noun Love of one's country; the passion which aims to serve one's country, either in defending it from invasion, or protecting its rights and maintaining its laws and institutions in vigor and purity. patriotism is the characteristic of a good citizen, the noblest passion that animates a man in the character of a citizen.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI