Crusade: A Medieval Campaign, and a Modern Cause

A crusade was originally a military expedition undertaken under the sign of the cross. The modern figurative sense — a determined campaign for a cause — is common, but the word carries history: in much of the world it names a series of invasions, so it is not a neutral metaphor everywhere.

• A medieval religious war. *The First Crusade set out in 1096.*
• A vigorous campaign. *A crusade against food waste.*
• To campaign (verb). *She crusaded for prison reform.*

Word forms

How it is used in a sentence

• The Crusades lasted for nearly two centuries.Capitalised for the historical campaigns.
• She has made it a personal crusade.A cause pursued with unusual determination.
• Crusading journalism exposed the scandal.Campaigning rather than merely reporting.

Why the metaphor is delicate

• In English the figurative sense is usually positive — persistent, principled campaigning
• In Arabic and across much of the Muslim world the historical memory is of invasion
• Political speech using the word has caused real diplomatic difficulty
• Campaign, drive or push carry the same meaning with none of the history
• The choice matters most when the audience is international

From Spanish *cruzada* and French *croisade*, both from Latin *crux*, a cross — participants took a cross as their sign. The English word only appeared in the seventeenth century, long after the campaigns themselves ended.