intifada

noun in·ti·fa·da \ ˌin-tə-ˈfä-də \

|Updated on: 10 Jul 2018

Definition of intifada

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

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Recent Examples of intifada from the Web

Instead imagine high-tech mobs, an intifada with stones and drones, locals and irregulars in improvised warfare with the feds.

— lance morrow, WSJ, "Political Harassment Is for the Birds," 6 July 2018
But after years of settlement building, a second intifada, instability throughout the region, and the rise of absolutism on both sides, a paralyzing mistrust took hold.

— adam entous, The New Yorker, "Donald Trump’s New World Order," 11 June 2018
During the second intifada, the violent 2000-2005 uprising against Israel’s occupation, Israel, the United States, and the U.N. Security Council all formally endorsed the notion of Palestinian statehood.

— nathan thrall, Time, "How the Idea of Return Has Shaped the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict for 70 Years," 14 May 2018
On a visit to Bethlehem, Jubran, who lives in a village nearby, recounts coming of age in the first intifada as a teenage political activist, one of tens of thousands of youths who joined mass demonstrations facing off against Israeli troops.

— dina kraft, The Christian Science Monitor, "Israel at 70: A tale of two histories," 1 May 2018
Part of this hard-right shift, analysts say, has to do with the trauma of the violent second intifada, or uprising.

— yardena schwartz, Newsweek, "Israel’s Alt-Right Is Now Mainstream—Are Lawmakers Doing Enough to Stop It?," 7 Mar. 2018
This became hard to sustain, especially during the bloody fighting of the second intifada, or uprising, which began in 2000.

— The Economist, "Deadly protests on Gaza’s border with Israel," 17 May 2018
Then, as the intifada death toll mounted, Israel decided to withdraw its settlers and army from Gaza, maintaining control of the territory from outside, and made plans for further withdrawals in the West Bank.

— nathan thrall, Time, "How the Idea of Return Has Shaped the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict for 70 Years," 14 May 2018
Hence there is little appetite for supporting another intifada.

— jeet heer, The New Republic, "Arab Leaders Have Abandoned Gaza, Too," 1 May 2018

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'intifada.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.