jihad
jihad Lexical Profile
jihad Game Scores & Validity
• noun
In Islam, a spiritual struggle within oneself against sin and moral imperfection, or an external struggle on behalf of the Muslim community and faith.
"The scholar emphasized that the primary form of jihad is the daily internal effort to live a righteous and compassionate life."
An impassioned, uncompromising campaign or crusade for or against a particular cause, doctrine, or principle.
"The consumer advocate launched a personal jihad against deceptive advertising practices in the pharmaceutical industry."
Word Nuance & Usage
In Islamic theology, 'jihad' encompasses both an internal spiritual struggle toward moral perfection ('greater jihad') and an external physical struggle to defend the faith ('lesser jihad'), whereas in Western political discourse it is frequently narrowed to denote militant conflict.
• Rhymes for jihad
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-19th century from Arabic 'jihād', literally meaning 'effort, striving, or struggle', derived from the verbal root 'jahada' ('to strive or exert oneself').