holy war: meaning, definition, pronunciation and examples
C2Formal, academic, journalistic
Quick answer
What does “holy war” mean?
A war fought for religious reasons, especially one aimed at spreading or defending a particular religion.
Audio
Pronunciation
Definition
Meaning and Definition
A war fought for religious reasons, especially one aimed at spreading or defending a particular religion.
Any intense and passionate campaign or crusade against a particular idea, practice, or group, often implying a fanatical or uncompromising stance.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
No significant differences in denotation; usage is consistent across varieties.
Connotations
Both varieties carry the same core religious and figurative connotations. The term is sensitive due to its association with religious conflict.
Frequency
Equally used in both varieties, with frequency spiking in news media during periods of religious conflict or intense ideological debate.
Grammar
How to Use “holy war” in a Sentence
[Subject] wages a holy war against/on [Target/Issue]A holy war breaks out over [Issue/Cause][Subject] is engaged in a holy war with [Opponent]Vocabulary
Collocations
Examples
Examples of “holy war” in a Sentence
verb
British English
- (Not standard; 'to wage holy war' is the verbal construction)
American English
- (Not standard; 'to wage holy war' is the verbal construction)
adverb
British English
- (Not used as an adverb)
American English
- (Not used as an adverb)
adjective
British English
- The holy-war rhetoric was increasingly inflammatory.
- They adopted a holy-war mentality.
American English
- His holy-war approach to the debate alienated potential allies.
- The group's holy-war ideology was clear.
Usage
Meaning in Context
Business
Rare. May be used figuratively: 'The CEO declared a holy war on inefficiency in the supply chain.'
Academic
Common in history, religious studies, and political science to describe historical or contemporary conflicts with a primary religious motivation.
Everyday
Used, but often in a figurative or exaggerated sense for passionate personal campaigns (e.g., 'My mum's on a holy war against single-use plastics').
Technical
Used in military history and political analysis with precise definitions, distinguishing it from ethnic or nationalistic wars.
Watch out
Common Mistakes When Using “holy war”
- Using it too lightly for minor disagreements (hyperbole). Confusing it with 'civil war' or 'war of independence.' Incorrectly using it as a verb (e.g., 'to holy war' is non-standard).
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. While its core meaning is a war for religious reasons, it is very commonly used figuratively to describe any intensely fought campaign against an idea or practice (e.g., 'a holy war on sugar').
'Crusade' specifically refers to the medieval Christian military expeditions to the Holy Land, but like 'holy war', it is also used figuratively. 'Holy war' is a broader, more generic term for any religiously-sanctioned conflict.
In Western media, 'jihad' is often translated as 'holy war'. However, in Islamic theology, 'jihad' has a broader meaning of 'struggle', which can be an internal spiritual struggle or an external defensive war. The equivalence is controversial and context-dependent.
Rarely. Even when used by participants who see their cause as righteous, the term in general discourse carries strong connotations of fanaticism and intolerance, especially in secular contexts. It is often used critically.
A war fought for religious reasons, especially one aimed at spreading or defending a particular religion.
Holy war is usually formal, academic, journalistic in register.
Holy war: in British English it is pronounced /ˌhəʊli ˈwɔː(r)/, and in American English it is pronounced /ˌhoʊli ˈwɔːr/. Tap the audio buttons above to hear it.
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “on a holy war (against something)”
- “declare holy war on”
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think: HOLY (sacred, religious) + WAR (conflict). A war made holy by its cause.
Conceptual Metaphor
IDEOLOGICAL CONFLICT IS RELIGIOUS WAR (e.g., 'the holy war on drugs').
Practice
Quiz
In its extended, figurative sense, 'holy war' most often implies what about the person waging it?