martyrdom

noun

mar·​tyr·​dom ˈmär-tər-dəm 

1

: the suffering of death on account of adherence to a cause and especially to one's religious faith

… defended moral truth even to the point of enduring martyrdom …

—Andrew Sullivan

2

: affliction, torture

Examples of martyrdom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The Tehran Times said more than 140 people were injured in two explosions taking place in the southern Iranian city of Kerman as the country marks the 4th martyrdom anniversary of Soleimani's death. —John Bacon, USA TODAY, 3 Jan. 2024

By the close of this passage, Cyrus seems to have rejected the idea of art martyrdom. —Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, 13 Mar. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

martyrdom

noun

mar·​tyr·​dom ˈmärt-ərd-əm 

1

: the sufferings and death of a martyr

2

: torment entry 1 sense 1