Devoted love, support and defense of one's country; national loyalty (noun)
Looking for the answer to the USA Today Rootonym clue “Devoted love, support and defense of one's country; national loyalty (noun)”? The solution is PATRIOTISM, a 10-letter word built on the root PATR (“father”). It appeared in the July 25, 2026 (Saturday) USA Today Rootonym. See the full puzzle for that day's other words.
Answer
PATRIOTISM
PATR******PATRmeans “father”
In a sentence
In a show of PATRIOTISM, many citizens fly American flags on Memorial Day.
About this clue
The Rootonym clue “Devoted love, support and defense of one's country; national loyalty (noun)” has the answer PATRIOTISM (10 letters), built on the root PATR, which means “father”. Browse the full July 25, 2026 Rootonym puzzle for the other three words, or see all Rootonym answers.