intifada

noun

in·​ti·​fa·​da ˌin-tə-ˈfä-də 

plural intifadas

: uprising, rebellion

specifically : an armed uprising of Palestinians against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip

I was a college student at Tufts University in December 1987, when the first Palestinian intifada began.

—Hady Amr

… in 2000, the second intifada struck with the force of an earthquake. As Palestinians fought Israeli troops, the West Bank became all but ungovernable.

—Karen E. Lange

Examples of intifada in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The person who threw Molotov cocktails at demonstrators attending a march for Israeli hostages in Colorado last month: that’s what globalizing the intifada looks like. —Boston Herald Editorial Staff, Boston Herald, 2 July 2025

Mamdani’s progressive intifada will be a disaster for New York. —Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 27 June 2025

But there's a segment of the population that, since Israel's existence, has wanted the Jews to be dead from the Mediterranean Sea to the Jordan River and calling for an intifada. —Ryan Gaydos, Fox News, 24 Mar. 2025

Audience members won’t find a detailed debate about the history of Israel and the Palestinians, the Oslo Accords, or the first and second intifadas. —Seth Klamann, Denver Post, 28 June 2025

Word History

Etymology

Arabic intifāḍa, literally, the act of shaking off

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for intifada

• arthropoda
• theravada
• armada
• entrada
• espada
• hamada
• jornada
• kannada
• posada
• quebrada
• ramada
• sagrada

Kids Definition

intifada

noun

in·​ti·​fa·​da ˌint-ə-ˈfäd-ə 

: uprising, rebellion

Etymology

Arabic intifāda, literally, "the act of shaking off"