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Crusade: Definition, Usage & Key Examples (2 meaning)

Meaning 1：moral campaign (crusade)

crusade 🔊

/ˈkruː.seɪd/

A long and determined effort to achieve something important or to change something that is bad, often with a strong sense of moral purpose.

Crusade meaning illustrated by a community leader organizing a volunteer clean-up campaign.

moral campaign 🔊

➕

/ˈmɔːrəl kæmˈpeɪn/

A sustained and passionate effort aimed at achieving a significant social or political goal, usually driven by a strong ethical or ideological belief.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Root Explanation

From Latin 'crux' (cross) + the suffix '-ade' (action, process).

💡 Mnemonic

Imagine a Crusader knight carrying a huge cross (crux) on a long, determined campaign (-ade).

📖 Example

Joining the local clean-up drive felt like being part of a crusade against plastic pollution. 🔊 Participating in the community cleanup initiative gave a sense of contributing to a major moral campaign targeting plastic waste.

🔗 Collocations

launch a crusade – to formally start a major effort for a cause

personal crusade – a cause one pursues with great personal dedication

crusade against – a vigorous campaign opposing something

🔄 Synonyms

campaign (n.) – An organized series of activities with a particular social, commercial, or political aim.

drive (n.) – A coordinated effort to achieve a specific purpose.

movement (n.) – A group of people working together to advance their shared ideas or goals.

🚫 Antonyms

apathy (n.) – Lack of interest, enthusiasm, or concern.

inaction (n.) – Lack of action where some is expected or appropriate.

indifference (n.) – Lack of interest, concern, or sympathy.

🌱 Derivatives

crusader (n.) – A person who campaigns vigorously for social, political, or religious change.

📖 Cultural Story

The term originates from the Medieval Latin 'cruciata', referring to being 'marked with the cross'. It was adopted into French and then English, specifically naming the series of religious wars launched by European Christians (marked by the cross) to capture the Holy Land from Muslim rule between the 11th and 13th centuries.

Meaning 2：holy war (crusade)

crusade 🔊

/ˈkruː.seɪd/

Specifically refers to the medieval wars fought by Christians from Europe to take control of Jerusalem and the Holy Land from Muslims.

Historical crusade definition showing a medieval knight with a red cross on his shield.

holy war 🔊

➕

/ˈhoʊli wɔːr/

Historically, it refers specifically to the military expeditions undertaken by European Christians between the 11th and 13th centuries with the goal of reclaiming the Holy Land (Jerusalem and surrounding areas) from Muslim control.

📁 Category：Culture & History 🔖 Level：Intermediate

📘 Details & Usage

📖 Example

In history class, we learned about the knights who fought in the Crusade to the Holy Land. 🔊 During our history lesson, we studied the medieval knights who participated in the holy war aimed at capturing the Holy Land.

🔗 Collocations

the Crusades – the collective term for the series of medieval holy wars

medieval crusade – a holy war from the Middle Ages

crusade to the Holy Land – a military expedition aimed at Jerusalem

🔄 Synonyms

holy war (n.) – A war fought for religious reasons or under divine sanction.

expedition (n.) – A journey or voyage undertaken by a group for a specific purpose, often military.

campaign (n.) – A series of military operations intended to achieve a goal in a particular area.

🌱 Derivatives

crusader (n.) – A knight or soldier who fought in the medieval Crusades.