Meanings
plural jihadisms
- uncountableusuallyThe ideological movement within modern Islamism that advocates armed jihad and hostility against non-believers.
The twin institutions of mahdist jihadism and radical puritanical sufism
1983, Research in social anthropology, 1975-19801 more example
Liberals rightly recoil from the constant pressure on Muslims to explain themselves and denounce jihadism or even islamism.
2009 February 4, Jonathan Freedland, “As British Jews come under attack, the liberal left must not remain silent”, in The Guardian
Origin
Late 1970s, from jihad + -ism.
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Arabic جِهَادِيَّة
- جِهَادِيَّة (jihādiyya)ideological movement within modern Islamism
Catalan gihadisme
- gihadismeideological movement within modern Islamism
Dutch jihadisme
- jihadismeideological movement within modern Islamism
French jihadisme
- jihadismeideological movement within modern Islamism
German Dschihadismus, Jihadismus
- Dschihadismusideological movement within modern Islamism
- Jihadismusideological movement within modern Islamism
- Gotteskriegertumideological movement within modern Islamism
Greek τζιχαντισμός
- τζιχαντισμός (tzichantismós)ideological movement within modern Islamism
Hindi जिहाद, जिहाद्
- जिहाद (jihād)ideological movement within modern Islamism
- जिहाद् (jihād)ideological movement within modern Islamism
Italian jihadismo
- jihadismoideological movement within modern Islamism
Polish dżihadyzm
- dżihadyzmideological movement within modern Islamism
Portuguese jihadismo
- jihadismoideological movement within modern Islamism
Spanish yihadismo
- yihadismoideological movement within modern Islamism
Swedish jihadism
- jihadismideological movement within modern Islamism
Turkish cihatçılık
- cihatçılıkideological movement within modern Islamism
Cite this entry
jihadism. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jihadism
“jihadism.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jihadism. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “jihadism,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/jihadism.
Source: jihadism on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.