martyrdom

noun mar·tyr·dom \ ˈmär-tər-dəm \

Updated on: 16 May 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

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
It is referred to as martyrdom, Tolstoy explained, because the Russian Orthodox Church canonized the imperial-family members who were executed in Ekaterinburg.

— michael joseph gross, Vanities, "“There’s Nothing Wrong with Falling from Grace”: The Global Network of Monarchists Helping Deposed Kings and Queens," 27 Apr. 2018
On information and belief, the two older Doe sisters were indoctrinated into a religious cult that promotes martyrdom and celebrates death.

— ken byron, Courant Community, "Avon School Board Approves $62,500 Settlement In Religious Indoctrination Lawsuit," 23 Mar. 2018
Medieval massacres by Christians demanded a theology of martyrdom; the kaddish prayer for the deceased entered the Ashkenazi liturgy.

— dominic green, WSJ, "‘A History of Judaism’ Review: The Book of Books," 30 Mar. 2018
But martyrdom and the passage of time have a way of refracting and re-emphasizing aspects of a life, even one lived in the constant spotlight of rallies, press appearances, marches, speeches and writings.

— San Francisco Chronicle, "Dream had become a nightmare for MLK in the last year of his life," 28 Mar. 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

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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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