holy war

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noun

a war waged for what is supposed or proclaimed to be a holy purpose, as the defense of faith.

any disagreement or argument between fanatical proponents of radically differing beliefs, opinions, etc.: a holy war on the merits of rival computer operating systems; a holy war about welfare reform.

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Origin of holy war

First recorded in 1685–95

Words nearby holy war

holy terror, holy thistle, Holy Thursday, holytide, Holy Trinity, holy war, holy water, holy water sprinkler, Holy Week, Holy Willie, Holy Writ

How to use holy war in a sentence

They are, to say the least, preparing for civil war (the polling stations are stormed by armed gangs).
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
But what is there more irresponsible than playing with the fire of an imagined civil war in the France of today?
Houellebecq’s Incendiary Novel Imagines France With a Muslim President|Pierre Assouline|January 9, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Cold War fears could be manipulated through misleading art to attract readers to daunting material.
How Pulp Fiction Saved Literature|Wendy Smith|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST
Kennedy: "Mankind must put an end to war — or war will put an end to mankind."
Huckabee 2016: Bend Over and Take It Like a Prisoner!|Olivia Nuzzi|January 8, 2015|DAILY BEAST

It is not a decisive war, with a single, signature victory, but a war of attrition.
Pentagon Doesn’t Know How Many People It’s Killed in the ISIS War|Nancy A. Youssef|January 7, 2015|DAILY BEAST
He distinguished himself in several campaigns, especially in the Peninsular war, and was raised to the rank of field marshal.
The Every Day Book of History and Chronology|Joel Munsell
His 6,000 native auxiliaries (as it proved later on) could not be relied upon in a civil war.
The Philippine Islands|John Foreman
"There is no more war," Brion translated for Ulv, realizing that the Disan had understood nothing of the explanation.
Sense of Obligation|Henry Maxwell Dempsey (AKA Harry Harrison)
I cannot reconcile the idea of a tender Heavenly Father with the known horrors of war, slavery, pestilence, and insanity.
God and my Neighbour|Robert Blatchford
We were now masters of the whole country, and the war was apparently at an end.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various

British Dictionary definitions for holy war

holy war

noun

a war waged in the cause of a religion

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

holy war

Origin of holy war

Words nearby holy war

Words related to holy war

How to use holy war in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for holy war