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noun

protomartyr

PROH-toh-mahr-ter
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Protomartyr (noun) means one of the earliest Christians put to death for the faith. Example: “Church histories honor the protomartyrs of the early faith.”

noun
1
One of the earliest Christians put to death for the faith.
"Church histories honor the protomartyrs of the early faith."
"The chapel was named in memory of a protomartyr."
"Writers sometimes call the earliest Christians killed for their beliefs protomartyrs."

Examples of protomartyr in a sentence →

How to use protomartyr

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishOne of the very first Christian martyrs.

When to use it

The word is formal and mostly appears in religious and historical writing.

Memory tip

Think of proto- as first, so a protomartyr is a first martyr.

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Church histories honor the _____ of the early faith.

Etymology

The word came into Middle English from Middle French and Medieval Latin, and goes back to Koine Greek prōtomártus. It can be analyzed as proto- plus martyr.

Origin: Middle English

Rhymes for protomartyr

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Frequently asked questions

What does protomartyr mean?
A protomartyr is one of the earliest Christians put to death for the faith.
What is the plural of protomartyr?
The plural is protomartyrs.
What does the prefix proto- mean in protomartyr?
Here proto- marks the martyr as one of the first, so a protomartyr is an early martyr.
What is the meaning of protomartyr?
"protomartyr" (noun) means one of the earliest Christians put to death for the faith.