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jihad

 - 4 dictionary results

ji⋅had

  [ji-hahd]
Use jihad in a Sentence
–noun
1. a holy war undertaken as a sacred duty by Muslims.
2. any vigorous, emotional crusade for an idea or principle.
Also, jehad.

Origin:
1865–70; < Ar jihād struggle, strife
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2009.
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ji·had also je·had   (jĭ-häd')   
n.  

  1. Islam An individual's striving for spiritual self-perfection.

  2. Islam A Muslim holy war or spiritual struggle against infidels.

  3. A crusade or struggle: "The war against smoking is turning into a jihad against people who smoke" (Fortune).


[Arabic jihād, from jahada, to strive; see ghd in Semitic roots.]
The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition
Copyright © 2009 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Cultural Dictionary

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.

Note: 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 American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Published by Houghton Mifflin Company. All rights reserved.
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Word Origin & History

jihad 
1869, from Ar., usually translated as "holy war," lit. "struggle, contest, effort," from inf. of jahada "he waged war, he applied himself to." Used for any doctrinal crusade since c.1880.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2001 Douglas Harper
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