Definition of "martyrdom" []

• The state of being a martyr. (noun)
• The suffering of death by a martyr. (noun)
• Extreme suffering of any kind. (noun)

American Heritage(R) Dictionary of the English Language, Fifth Edition. Copyright (c) 2011 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.

• "The use of the word martyrdom often confuses the issue, but the sentiment is not unlike that of a soldier mourning a dead platoon mate, or a mother making sense of the death of her child in a war that she considers honorable."
• "I'm not sure whether martyrdom is all the rage now - perhaps in some cases self inflicted victimhood?"
• "Unlike the Western world, where we love life, the Islamic fanatics love death, what they refer to as martyrdom, killing the infidel?"