martyrdom

noun

mar·​tyr·​dom ˈmär-tər-dəm 

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

The full extent of his martyrdom is hard to measure over the course of a movie that barely engages with anything beyond its own bile. —David Ehrlich, IndieWire, 29 Jan. 2026

That shift — from individual heroics and martyrdom to collective problem-solving — is one of the quiet skills portfolio careers demand. —Alli Kushner, Forbes.com, 29 Jan. 2026

That martyrdom can be the cost of such a revelation, and that change might be possible only through injury or death, is a sad commentary on the human brain and heart. —Gal Beckerman, The Atlantic, 19 Jan. 2026

Whitewashed cults of martyrdom have sprung up around the January 6th rioters and Charlie Kirk. —Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

before the 12th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

martyrdom

noun

mar·​tyr·​dom ˈmärt-ərd-əm 

1

: the sufferings and death of a martyr

2

: torment entry 1 sense 1