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
Pakistan became a front-line state supporting the Afghan jihad against invading Soviet forces.
—
Rabia Akhtar, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
January 10, 2026By Kyle Buchanan and Sela Shiloni A regime that would rather pursue a perpetual jihad against the Zionist enemy than feed its own people will eventually fall.
—Anatoly Kurmanaev Jes Aznar Sela Shiloni Bret Stephens, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Authorities in Uzbekistan accused him of distributing terrorist propaganda calling for jihad online and recruiting terrorists to join the jihad movement.
—Stephen Sorace , Charles Creitz, FOXNews.com, 17 Nov. 2025
Yet again such Americanized or Americanizing individuals are accused of globalizing the intifada, if not jihad.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for jihad
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Rabia Akhtar, The Conversation, 20 Mar. 2026
January 10, 2026By Kyle Buchanan and Sela Shiloni A regime that would rather pursue a perpetual jihad against the Zionist enemy than feed its own people will eventually fall.
—Anatoly Kurmanaev Jes Aznar Sela Shiloni Bret Stephens, New York Times, 16 Jan. 2026
Authorities in Uzbekistan accused him of distributing terrorist propaganda calling for jihad online and recruiting terrorists to join the jihad movement.
—Stephen Sorace , Charles Creitz, FOXNews.com, 17 Nov. 2025
Yet again such Americanized or Americanizing individuals are accused of globalizing the intifada, if not jihad.
—Pankaj Mishra, Harpers Magazine, 19 Sep. 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 30 Mar. 2026.
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