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

Indian social and women’s rights activist, educationist, Syeda Saiyidain Hameed during the Iran Embassy opens condolence book on the martyrdom of Iran’s Supreme Leader Ali Khamenei at the Embassy of the Islamic Republic of Iran, on March 5, 2026 in New Delhi, India. —Amitoj Singh, CNBC, 10 Mar. 2026

But while Americans saw the killing of Ayatollah Ali Khamenei as a way to weaken his regime, there’s some reason to think that Khamenei welcomed his own martyrdom as a way to strengthen it. —Nicholas D. Kristof, Mercury News, 10 Mar. 2026

The assassination of Khamenei, an octogenarian whose ideology considers martyrdom a religious reward, has galvanized his supporters. —Rania Abouzeid, New Yorker, 5 Mar. 2026

After the Islamic Republic of Iran was established under Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini in 1979, martyrdom appeared as a central theme. —Eric Lob, The Conversation, 2 Mar. 2026

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