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
Andrew Sullivan2
Examples of martyrdom in a Sentence
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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
King’s struggle with temptation, doubt, faith and martyrdom mirrors the Biblical story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane the night before he was betrayed.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2025
Upon martyrdom, they were catapulted into the embrace of God.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 10 June 2025
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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
King’s struggle with temptation, doubt, faith and martyrdom mirrors the Biblical story of Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane the night before he was betrayed.
—Pam Kragen, San Diego Union-Tribune, 2 June 2025
Upon martyrdom, they were catapulted into the embrace of God.
—Amir Ahmadi Arian, The Dial, 10 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for martyrdom
Cite this Entry
“Martyrdom.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/martyrdom. Accessed 22 Jul. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
martyrdom
noun
mar·tyr·dom
ˈmärt-ərd-əm
1
: the sufferings and death of a martyr
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