martyrdom

noun

mar·​tyr·​dom ˈmär-tər-dəm How to pronounce martyrdom (audio)
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 martyrdomAndrew Sullivan
2

Examples of martyrdom in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web What begins as an inhumane interrogation turns into a true martyrdom: the wrong group of people have been kidnapped. Matt Grobar, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2024 She was especially drawn to the Cathars, a medieval sect whose ascetic practices spoke to her own quest for disembodiment, as did their martyrdom. Judith Thurman, The New Yorker, 2 Sep. 2024 On the eve of a Republican National Convention built on themes of victimhood and political persecution, Trump came inches — literally — from martyrdom. Stef W. Kight, Axios, 18 July 2024 Hussein’s martyrdom is widely interpreted by Shiites as a symbol of the struggle against injustice, tyranny, and oppression. Kathleen Magramo, CNN, 18 July 2024 See all Example Sentences for martyrdom 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'martyrdom.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of martyrdom was before the 12th century

Dictionary Entries Near martyrdom

Cite this Entry

“Martyrdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martyrdom. Accessed 6 Oct. 2024.

Kids Definition

martyrdom

noun
mar·​tyr·​dom ˈmärt-ərd-əm How to pronounce martyrdom (audio)
1
: the sufferings and death of a martyr
2
Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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