genocide
Americannoun
noun
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Etymology
Origin of genocide
First recorded in 1940–45; from Greek géno(s) “race” + -cide
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Explanation
Genocide refers to the systematic destruction of a race or cultural group. In the Rwandan genocide of 1994, members of one ethnic group, the Hutus, killed some 850,000 Tutsis in an attempt to wipe them out completely. Genocide was coined in 1944 by a Polish-Jewish scholar named Raphael Lemkin in response to the Holocaust. In 1948, the United Nations defined genocide as any of several acts (including murder) "committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group..."
Vocabulary lists containing genocide
Frankenwords: Words with Roots from Different Languages
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Human Geography - High School
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President Trump's Second State of the Union Address (2019)
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The Gambia, a Muslim-majority country in west Africa, is taking Myanmar to the ICJ, which rules in disputes between states, alleging breaches of the 1948 UN Genocide Convention.
From Barron's • Jan. 14, 2026
It added that under the Genocide Convention, other nations have an obligation to “prevent and punish the crime of genocide.”
From Los Angeles Times • Sep. 22, 2025
Genocide Watch is among those urging Prime Minister Mark Carney to reconsider the invite.
From Salon • Jun. 12, 2025
Genocide Remembrance Day in Namibia on Wednesday follows years of pressure on Germany to pay reparations.
From BBC • May 27, 2025
It has already set up new standards for the conduct of nations in the Declaration of Human Rights and the Convention on Genocide.
From State of the Union Address by Truman, Harry S.
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
