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
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
According to former members interviewed for A Teenage Holy War, interns were forced into Navy Seal-style training and subjected to torturous conditions that included being put into coffins and being forced to eat worms, all in preparation for martyrdom. Grace Jordan-Weinstein, People.com, 27 July 2025 But with Trump's martyrdom galvanizing a MAGA revival and younger Trump on the ticket, Biden's team shifted strategy. Theo Burman, MSNBC Newsweek, 13 July 2025 The ceremony Khamenei attended commemorates the 7th century martyrdom of Prophet Muhammad's grandson Hussein, a pivotal event in Shiite Islam that created the historic rift between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. Adeola Adeosun, MSNBC Newsweek, 6 July 2025 Losing a friend side by side in a gunfight often meant pursuing vengeance in his memory, taking care not to squander his martyrdom. Literary Hub, 3 July 2025 See All Example Sentences for martyrdom

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

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Cite this Entry

“Martyrdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martyrdom. Accessed 6 Aug. 2025.

Kids Definition

martyrdom

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

More from Merriam-Webster on martyrdom

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