martyrdom
noun
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Definition of martyrdom
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
Examples of martyrdom in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Whatever happens, Mr Sharif and his daughter are likely to acquire an air of martyrdom. — The Economist, "Pakistan’s former prime minister embraces jail to rally his party," 12 July 2018 While the government laid out requirements for martyrdom in 2011—stipulating that deaths must have occurred in the course of public service—what constitutes a national hero is less clear. — Chun Han Wong, WSJ, "China Guards Its Historical Heroes With New Law," 27 Apr. 2018 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. 2018These 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.
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More Definitions for martyrdom
martyrdom
noun
English Language Learners Definition of martyrdom
: the suffering and death of a martyr
See the full definition for martyrdom in the English Language Learners Dictionary
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