crusade

[kroo-seyd]

noun

1. Often Crusade any of the military expeditions undertaken by the Christians of Europe in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries for the recovery of the Holy Land from the Muslims.

2. any war carried on under papal sanction.

3. any vigorous, aggressive movement for the defense or advancement of an idea, cause, etc..

   a crusade against child abuse.

verb (used without object)

crusaded, crusading 

1. to go on or engage in a crusade.

crusade

/ kruːˈseɪd /

noun

1. (often capital) any of the military expeditions undertaken in the 11th, 12th, and 13th centuries by the Christian powers of Europe to recapture the Holy Land from the Muslims

2. (formerly) any holy war undertaken on behalf of a religious cause

3. a vigorous and dedicated action or movement in favour of a cause

verb

1. to campaign vigorously for something

2. to go on a crusade

Other Word Forms

• crusader noun
• noncrusading adjective
• post-Crusade adjective
• pre-Crusade adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of crusade¹

First recorded in 1570–80; earlier crusada, from Spanish cruzada; replacing croisade, from Middle French. See cross, -ade ¹

Word History and Origins

Origin of crusade¹

C16: from earlier croisade, from Old French crois cross, from Latin crux; influenced also by Spanish cruzada, from cruzar to take up the cross

Example Sentences

It was a more raucous kind of wild place where everybody was on a crusade to sweep the nation with this musical invention.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Her months-long crusade has brought in several believers, including two neighbors who own the lots next to hers.

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His job became a single-minded crusade against the Household Finance Corporation.

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Like the anti-abortion crusade, the effort to end marriage equality is a long game.

Read more on Salon

As much as Newby’s triumphs reflect his own relentless crusade, they also reflect years of trench warfare by the conservative legal movement.

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Related Words

• demonstration 
• expedition 
• movement