filicide

American  

[fil-uh-sahyd] / ˈfɪl əˌsaɪd /

noun

1. a person who kills their own child.

2. the act of killing one's child.

   Ancient myth contains numerous examples of filicide.

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filicide British  

/ ˈfɪlɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing one's own son or daughter

2. a person who does this

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Other Word Forms

• filicidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of filicide

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin fīli(us) “son” ( fīli(a) “daughter”) + -cide

Example Sentences

Podcasters, reporters and TV producers rushed to South Carolina to tell a Shakespearean story of filicide, anchored by a main character whose button-down shirts seem to cover a terrifying moral void.

From New York Times

While the motivations behind filicide are complex, Ms. Reece believes it most likely involves a desire for spousal revenge.

From New York Times

Despite the lack of causal factors in cases of parents killing their children, social science has defined certain types of people who are more prone to committing filicide.

From Los Angeles Times

Our heroine rises, blood on her blouse, filicide averted.

From Salon

"I find that there is no validated risk-assessment tool that can accurately predict whether a parent is likely to commit filicide."

From BBC