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Glite Dictionary
protomartyr

protomartyr

1 9.9
A person who is the first to die for a cause, often for their religion
  • noun
  • /ˈproʊtəˌmɑrtər/
  • Specialized
: protomártir
  • Throughout history, many individuals have been recognized as protomartyrs for various religious movements.
  • protomartyr Stephen

Examples

  • St. Stephen is considered the protomartyr of Christianity, as he was the first to die for his faith.

  • The relics of the protomartyr St. Stephen were placed there after their discovery in 415.

    Academic text (2007)

  • After MOCAD headed over to Jumbo's to see Blues Control, along with Protomartyr and the Intended.

    Blog text (28)

  • So what if Fr. Pete was removed as assistant pastor of St. Stephen Protomartyr's for spending so much time with the gangs?

    Fiction book (1996)

  • Consequently, tradition elevated the young martyrs to the rank of protomartyrs; that is, the rank of those who were the first to die for their faith in Christ in their country.

    Academic text (2007)

  • In many cultures, the protomartyr symbolizes unwavering commitment to one's beliefs, often inspiring others.

Synonyms

martyr
vsprotomartyr
110 7.3

A person killed for their religious or political beliefs

is specifically the first person to die for that cause

Surface Forms

protomartyr singular
protomartyrs plural

Morphology

protomartyr = martyr (transparent) = proto + martyr

The word is built directly from 'proto-' meaning 'first' plus 'martyr', so the sense 'first martyr' is readily recoverable.

Etymology

Protomartyr comes from the Greek parts proto- meaning 'first' (the same proto- in prototype) and martyr meaning 'someone who dies for a belief'. So a protomartyr is the very first person to die for a cause, and that first death often inspires others.