martyrdom

noun mar·tyr·dom \ ˈmär-tər-dəm \

|Updated on: 11 Jul 2018

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

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Recent Examples of martyrdom from the Web

The links represent a single thistle and four interlinked sprigs of rue, and a pendant portraying St. Andrew carrying the cross of his martyrdom hangs down the center, according to the royal family.

— erica gonzales, Harper's BAZAAR, "Prince William's Super Ornate Outfit in Scotland Is Full of Royal Symbolism," 6 July 2018
Yet his martyrdom helped change America for the better.

— The Economist, "A different dream," 5 July 2018
Polish identity has leaned heavily on collective suffering and even a sense of martyrdom, sociologists say.

— james mcauley, Washington Post, "Poland’s new ‘Holocaust law’ comes up against massacre of Jews in 1941," 22 Feb. 2018
However, Martin’s martyrdom did not go in vain, and in the following years, the outrage brought about remarkable change.

— seattle times staff, The Seattle Times, "‘I was so distraught’: Readers remember the day Dr. King was shot," 3 Apr. 2018
That won him many converts, but for the action, authorities tied him to an anchor and tossed him into the Black Sea, a martyrdom which later earned him sainthood.

— jason daley, Smithsonian, "No, the Bone of Saint Clement Was Probably Not Just Found in London’s Trash," 4 May 2018
In martyrdom videos that were released after the attack, Balawi explained that Taliban and Al Qaeda operatives had worked with him to pass along exclusive and accurate information, in order to win the C.I.A.’s trust.

— rachel aviv, The New Yorker, "The Spy Who Came Home," 30 Apr. 2018
The show enters season two with the same cool, precise aesthetic that made the first season such a visual gem, including a masterful use of the color red — for blood, for martyrdom — and sets that are simultaneously old and sterile.

— matthew gilbert, BostonGlobe.com, "Back to hell with ‘A Handmaid’s Tale’," 18 Apr. 2018
If Camilla weren’t already widely loathed, Diana’s martyrdom ensured it.

— jacqueline cutler, Sun-Sentinel.com, "'The Duchess’ paints Camilla in a positive light while detailing Princess Diana's dark side," 15 Apr. 2018

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

First Known Use of martyrdom

before 12th century

in the meaning defined at sense 1

See Words from the same year

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Other Christian Religious Terms

Pentateuch, blasphemy, curate, doxology, eremite, iconoclasm, liturgy, orison, pneuma, reliquary

MARTYRDOM Defined for English Language Learners

martyrdom

noun

: the suffering and death of a martyr

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Spanish Central: Translation of martyrdom Nglish: Translation of martyrdom for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of martyrdom for Arabic speakers

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