Crusades

Cultural  

1. A series of wars fought from the late eleventh through the thirteenth centuries, in which European kings and warriors set out to gain control of the lands in which Jesus lived, known as the Holy Land. At that time, these areas were held by Muslims. The Crusaders conquered Jerusalem (see also Jerusalem) in 1099 but failed to secure the Holy Land, and they were driven out by the late thirteenth century. Nevertheless, the Crusades had several lasting results, including the exposure of Europeans to the goods, technology, and customs of Asia.

---

Discover More

The Crusades left a legacy of bitterness against Europeans and Christians among Muslims.

Example Sentences

The great Derek Jacobi plays the titular 12th century monk who was once a soldier of the Crusades.

From Los Angeles Times • Jun. 8, 2026

Christendom, in the medieval world of the Crusades, was Europe against the Islamic world.

From Slate • Apr. 9, 2026

Critics sought to link his tattoos of symbols from the Crusades with far-right extremism.

From BBC • Mar. 11, 2026

This idealized view is also far more sympathetic than modern perceptions of other medieval events, including the Crusades, which are now linked with coercion and brutality.

From Science Daily • Nov. 23, 2025

During the Crusades era, European nobles took over the commons so they could own it.

From "An Indigenous People’s History of the United States" by Roxanne Dunbar-Ortiz