mujahedeen
UK[ˌmʊdʒɑːhɪˈdiːn]US[ˌmuːdʒɑːhɪˈdiːn]
n
muslims who engage in a jihad, especially as guerrilla fighters.
Etymology
the term 'mujahedeen' entered english in the late 20th century, primarily through reporting on conflicts in afghanistan and other regions. it originates from the arabic root 'j-h-d', which carries the core meaning of 'striving' or 'exerting effort'. this root forms the basis for 'jihād', often translated as 'struggle', which can refer to an internal spiritual effort or an external physical one. in its english usage, 'mujahedeen' specifically denotes those engaged in an armed struggle, interpreted as a holy war, thus narrowing and concretizing the broader semantic field of the original arabic term.
Analysis
the word is a direct loanword from arabic, borrowed as a single lexical unit into english. it is the plural form of the arabic 'mujāhid', meaning 'one who struggles' or 'one who engages in jihad'.
Examples
the mujahedeen fought against the soviet occupation of afghanistan throughout the 1980s.
foreign governments provided weapons and funding to various mujahedeen factions.
the term mujahedeen is often used by groups describing themselves as islamic holy warriors.