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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 Justice Department said Aman wanted to join ISIS to engage in a holy war, or jihad, in Syria.
—Krystal Nurse, USA TODAY, 7 Nov. 2024
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
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Word History
First Known Use
1639, in the meaning defined above
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 23 Dec. 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
Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for holy war
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about holy war
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