Dictionary.com

jihad

or je·had

[ ji-hahd ]
/ dʒɪˈhɑd /
Save This Word!

noun
a holy war undertaken as a sacred duty by Muslims.
any vigorous, emotional crusade for an idea or principle.
QUIZ
CAN YOU ANSWER THESE COMMON GRAMMAR DEBATES?
There are grammar debates that never die; and the ones highlighted in the questions in this quiz are sure to rile everyone up once again. Do you know how to answer the questions that cause some of the greatest grammar debates?
Question 1 of 7
Which sentence is correct?

Origin of jihad

First recorded in 1865–70, jihad is from the Arabic word jihād struggle, strife
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use jihad in a sentence

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
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

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.
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.
FEEDBACK