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

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And in 2000, the second Palestinian intifada was sparked in part by a visit to the site by Israel’s then-opposition leader, Ariel Sharon, who was a candidate to be prime minister. — Ilan Ben Zion, Christian Science Monitor, 14 Oct. 2026 Since the first Palestinian intifada, or uprising, began in 1987, human rights organizations have documented how seldom investigations into Israeli soldiers’ killings of Palestinians resulted in prosecution. — Tamir Sorek, The Conversation, 12 Oct. 2026 No mention of terrorism, no mention of al-Qaida outside the intifada. — September 9, NPR, 9 Sep. 2026 The intifada subsided in 2005, and Eisenkot was moved to operational planning for the IDF. — Britannica Editors, Encyclopedia Britannica, 7 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for intifada

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

Rhymes for intifada

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Browse Nearby Words

Intichiuma
intifada
intil
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Cite this Entry

“Intifada.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/intifada. Accessed 19 Oct. 2026.

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Kids Definition

Etymology

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

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