patriot vs. loyalist

patriot

noun

  1. a person who loves, supports, and defends their country and its interests with devotion.
  2. a person who values individual rights, especially one who attempts to defend those rights against presumed interference by the federal government.
  3. Patriot, Military. a U.S. Army antiaircraft missile with a range of 37 miles (60 kilometers) and a 200-pound (90-kilogram) warhead, launched from a tracked vehicle with radar and computer guidance and fire control.

loyalist

noun

  1. a person who is loyal; a supporter of the sovereign or of the existing government, especially in time of revolt.
  2. (sometimes initial capital letter) a person who remained loyal to the British during the American Revolution; Tory.
  3. (initial capital letter) an adherent of the republic during the Spanish Civil War, opposed to Franco.