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
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Recent Examples of martyrdom from the Web
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The fighters often approached the young women with treats and stories of a glorious martyrdom.
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Extremists believe there are victories to be won during Ramadan, and that martyrdom for the cause will be greatly rewarded in the afterlife.
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Some extremist groups have distorted martyrdom to mean those who die while carrying out acts of terrorism, but Akram says a martyr is someone who dies because of their faith.
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And as is the case with its cousin martyrdom, reflexive moral relativism intensifies with the gravity of the issue at hand.
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The virgins are calling, record me for my martyrdom.
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Apparently, even foreign fighters who reject their former lives in Western countries for a chance at martyrdom for ISIS sometimes long for the creature comforts of their previous homes.
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Its opposite, meanwhile — the quotidian physical martyrdom that was the lot of the working class — was at least given its due as a creditable human quality.
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Prosecutors said the Russian-speaking truck driver who fled Uzbekistan in 2009 had downloaded jihadist and martyrdom videos from a terrorist website and communicated with a terrorist organization, the Islamic Movement of Uzbekistan.
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
Other Christian Religious Terms
MARTYRDOM Defined for English Language Learners
martyrdom
playDefinition of martyrdom for English Language Learners
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: the suffering and death of a martyr
Learn More about martyrdom
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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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