jihad

or je·had

[ ji-hahd ]
/ dʒɪˈhɑd /

noun

a holy war undertaken as a sacred duty by Muslims.
any vigorous, emotional crusade for an idea or principle.

Origin of jihad

First recorded in 1865–70, jihad is from the Arabic word jihād struggle, strife

Example sentences from the Web for jihad

British Dictionary definitions for jihad

jihad

jehad

/ (dʒɪˈhæd) /

noun

Islam a holy war against infidels undertaken by Muslims in defence of the Islamic faith
Islam the personal struggle of the individual believer against evil and persecution
rare a crusade in support of a cause

Word Origin for jihad

C19: from Arabic jihād a conflict

Cultural definitions for jihad

jihad
[ (ji-hahd, ji-had) ]

In Islam, a holy war; a war ordained by God. The Koran teaches that soldiers who die in jihad go to heaven immediately.

notes for jihad

Modern-day terrorists often claim that they are carrying out acts of destruction, such as the attacks on the World Trade Center towers, as part of a jihad.