holy war

noun

: a war or violent campaign waged often by religious extremists for what is considered to be a holy purpose

Examples of holy war in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The Declaration in Script and Print: A Visual History of America’s Founding Document by John Bidwell Rozina Ali God’s Directive After the September 11 attacks, evangelical American missionaries followed military tanks into Afghanistan and Iraq to convert Muslims as part of a holy war. The New York Review of Books, 1 Nov. 2024 With Gamestop, this eventually wrapped back around into something that’s part cult, part get-rich-quick scheme, part righteous holy war against investors, and part cyberpunk cautionary tale. Amber Dasilva / Jalopnik, Quartz, 11 July 2024 Busch has framed her quest to unearth election fraud in Arizona — which has been debunked by independent investigators — in the language of a religious holy war. Azi Paybarah, Washington Post, 27 June 2024 Paul knows from his own dreams that this sparked holy war he's just started will kill billions (with a B) of people. Bryan Alexander, USA TODAY, 5 Mar. 2024 See all Example Sentences for holy war 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'holy war.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1639, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of holy war was in 1639

Dictionary Entries Near holy war

Cite this Entry

“Holy war.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/holy%20war. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

holy war

noun
: a war or violent campaign carried on for what is considered a holy purpose

More from Merriam-Webster on holy war

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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