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jihadist

jihadist

49 9.4
A Muslim person who uses or supports violence for a religious cause
  • noun
  • /dʒɪˈhɑːdɪst/
  • NSFW
translation icon : yihadista
  • Reports indicate that several jihadists have taken control of key regions in the conflict.
  • jihadist groups
  • jihadist organizations
  • jihadist movements

And it continues to inspire jihadists and and radical Islamists elsewhere.

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Examples

  • Our investigations confirm that Issa Karpov is a member of a militant Salafi group of Chechen Jihadists.

  • The jihadist participated in the armed struggle to promote his religious beliefs.

  • This is a Jihadist training manual.

  • More likely, they will become the new shock troops of the international jihadist movement.

    Academic text (2005)
  • And the danger of that is it's similar in a way to ISIS or some of these jihadist groups have carried out terrorist attacks.

  • The new paradigm reflected the recognition that jihadist organizations could act on their own to advance their interests.

    Academic text (2011)
  • America's culture of life stands in stark contrast to the jihadists' culture of death.

    Academic text (2008)
  • Still, the small but dedicated groups of jihadists will not evaporate because of the lack of recruits.

    Academic text (2008)
  • American success in Iraq would deny today's jihadists the symbolic victory that they seek.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Regardless of what Chechens think of their cause, jihadists can attract Islamic extremists from across Russia and around the world.

    Academic text (2008)

Synonyms

jihadi
vsjihadist
  • NSFW
15 9.5

A person who takes part in or supports violent religious fighting

is specific to a Muslim rather than any person
mujahid
vsjihadist
3 9.9

A Muslim who fights or supports fighting for their faith

can include those who only support rather than fight

Surface Forms

jihadist singular
jihadists plural

Morphology

jihadist = jihad (transparent) = jihad + ist

Standard agentive formation from the noun 'jihad' with the productive English suffix '-ist'; the meaning 'person who engages in or supports jihad' is directly derived, though 'jihad' itself has broader senses.

Etymology

Jihadist comes from the Arabic word jihad, which means 'struggle' or 'effort'. The ending -ist means 'a person who does something', so a jihadist is someone who takes part in a jihad, and today the word is often used for people who fight for a religious cause.