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
Recent Examples on the Web
Whitewashed cults of martyrdom have sprung up around the January 6th rioters and Charlie Kirk.
—Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
The quiet denouncement of Bob’s martyrdom complex points to people of color’s self-sufficiency.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Now, was that message — delivered in an expletive-laden two minutes of postgame comments — worth the martyrdom that came in the form of a Game 4 suspension handed down by the WNBA on Saturday for the Lynx coach?
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Matthew Boedy, an English professor at the University of North Georgia who studies Christian nationalism, warns that talk of martyrdom can lead to dangerous and sometimes violent escalation.
—Sarah McCammon, NPR, 22 Sep. 2025
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Julian Lucas, New Yorker, 24 Oct. 2025
The quiet denouncement of Bob’s martyrdom complex points to people of color’s self-sufficiency.
—Robert Daniels, Time, 10 Oct. 2025
Now, was that message — delivered in an expletive-laden two minutes of postgame comments — worth the martyrdom that came in the form of a Game 4 suspension handed down by the WNBA on Saturday for the Lynx coach?
—Jace Frederick, Twin Cities, 27 Sep. 2025
Matthew Boedy, an English professor at the University of North Georgia who studies Christian nationalism, warns that talk of martyrdom can lead to dangerous and sometimes violent escalation.
—Sarah McCammon, NPR, 22 Sep. 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 30 Oct. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
martyrdom
noun
mar·tyr·dom
ˈmärt-ərd-əm
1
: the sufferings and death of a martyr
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