聖せい戦せん

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Common wordFreq.FrequencyTop 20,000

Meanings

Refers to a war fought for religious reasons, or metaphorically for a cause pursued with religious-like zeal. Often used in historical or rhetorical contexts.

中ちゅう世せいヨーロッパでは、聖せい戦せんが何なん度ども行おこなわれた。
In medieval Europe, holy wars were fought many times.
彼かれは環かん境きょう保ほ護ごを聖せい戦せんのように語かたる。
He speaks of environmental protection as if it were a crusade.

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Usage patterns

聖せい戦せんを戦たたかうto fight a holy war
彼かれらは信しん仰こうのために聖せい戦せんを戦たたかった。
They fought a holy war for their faith.
聖せい戦せんを起おこすto start/wage a holy war
指し導どう者しゃは異い教きょう徒とに対たいして聖せい戦せんを起おこした。
The leader started a holy war against the infidels.
聖せい戦せんに身みを投とうじるto devote oneself to a holy war/cause
彼かれは若わかくして聖せい戦せんに身みを投とうじた。
He devoted himself to the holy war at a young age.

Kanji

聖holy, saint, sage
戦war, battle, match

Related words

宗しゅう教きょう戦せん争そう
宗教戦争 is the neutral, factual term for a war fought between religions, while 聖戦 carries a more rhetorical or ideological tone of righteous, divinely-sanctioned struggle.
十じゅう字じ軍ぐん
十字軍 specifically refers to the historical medieval Crusades, while 聖戦 is the broader term for any holy war or crusade-like cause, historical or metaphorical.
ジハード
聖戦 is the general Japanese term for a religiously sanctioned 'holy war', while ジハード specifically refers to the Islamic concept of jihad, which can also mean an inner spiritual struggle.

Etymology

Compound of 聖 (holy, sacred) and 戦 (war, battle). The term is a Sino-Japanese word (kango) that entered Japanese from Chinese, where it was used with similar meaning.