(n.) One who is proud of thier roots and has love for thier fellow countrymen and thier land.

Originally, a patriot was someone who loves their country and supports it, but won't blindly follow whatever their country's government does. These days, it is synonymous with Nationalist, which is someone who blindly follows whatever his country's government does, and lacks his own ability to think and reason for himself.

The 5th most common word in the USA, with "give", "me", "another" and "burger", just beating it to the top 4 places.

A citizen of one of the united States who loves his country.

Commonly, "love your country" is incorrectly interpreted as "support your country's government regardless of what it is doing". This is also, consequently, the type of person that people mistake a patriot as.

A true patriot loves his country to the extent that he will work to change it or point out what his country's government is doing wrong.

Most patriots wish to change the government to run the way the constitution describes it should.

Originally a word used to describe someone who takes pride in being a citizen of their country. Most recently used to keep down anti-war activists by accusing them of not loving their country because they don't want to send innocent men and women to their deaths for unjust cause.

After being called a non-patriot, it is very likely the person will also be called a terrorist as well. Ironically enough, so-called "terrorists" would be probably be considered patriots by their own people.

A real patriot is someone who loves their country enough to speak up when they see something that needs to be changed; not someone who blindly assumes that their government knows best and is always right no matter what.

Someone who put a flag on their SUV after 9/11 and thought they had done their part.