variants
or less commonly jehad
1
: a holy war waged on behalf of Islam as a religious duty
also
: a personal struggle in devotion to Islam especially involving spiritual discipline
2
: a crusade for a principle or belief
Examples of jihad in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
These terrorists are going about on a jihad and conquering territories and renaming them accordingly.
—
Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Yet again such Americanized or Americanizing individuals are accused of globalizing the intifada, if not jihad.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Khomeini declared jihad against Kurdish resistance groups, labeling them infidels, separatists and agents of Israel and the United States.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 28 June 2025
Over several months, Akhtar allegedly expressed strong support for the Islamic State group and violent jihad, including aspirations to travel overseas to join it.
—Elaine Mallon, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for jihad
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
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Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
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Paul Tilsley, FOXNews.com, 7 Oct. 2025
Yet again such Americanized or Americanizing individuals are accused of globalizing the intifada, if not jihad.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
Khomeini declared jihad against Kurdish resistance groups, labeling them infidels, separatists and agents of Israel and the United States.
—Shukriya Bradost, The Conversation, 28 June 2025
Over several months, Akhtar allegedly expressed strong support for the Islamic State group and violent jihad, including aspirations to travel overseas to join it.
—Elaine Mallon, The Washington Examiner, 24 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for jihad
Cite this Entry
“Jihad.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/jihad. Accessed 31 Oct. 2025.
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