intifada

noun

in·​ti·​fa·​da ˌin-tə-ˈfä-də How to pronounce intifada (audio)
plural intifadas
: uprising, rebellion
specifically : an armed uprising of Palestinians against Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip
I was a college student at Tufts University in December 1987, when the first Palestinian intifada began. Hady Amr
… in 2000, the second intifada struck with the force of an earthquake. As Palestinians fought Israeli troops, the West Bank became all but ungovernable. Karen E. Lange

Examples of intifada in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web With the outbreak of the second intifada a few years later, the assassinations ramped up, and in 2004, Israel killed Hamas’s founder, Ahmed Yassin. Audrey Kurth Cronin, Foreign Affairs, 3 June 2024 Between 1949 and now, including the intifadas of the 1990s and early 2000s and the Oct. 7 atrocities, 4,890 civilians have died in terror attacks. Efrem Sigel, New York Daily News, 25 Jan. 2024 His rite of passage had begun in 1989, two years after the first intifada erupted, protesting Israel’s occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip. Adam Sella, New York Times, 26 May 2024 But at any moment the situation could become even more volatile, resulting in the next intifada. Mark Mazzetti Jonathan Davis Anna Diamond David Mason, New York Times, 16 May 2024 See all Example Sentences for intifada 

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'intifada.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Arabic intifāḍa, literally, the act of shaking off

First Known Use

1985, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of intifada was in 1985

Dictionary Entries Near intifada

Cite this Entry

“Intifada.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intifada. Accessed 27 Jun. 2024.

Kids Definition

intifada

noun
in·​ti·​fa·​da ˌint-ə-ˈfäd-ə How to pronounce intifada (audio)
Etymology

Arabic intifāda, literally, "the act of shaking off"

More from Merriam-Webster on intifada

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