genocide

American  

[jen-uh-sahyd] / ˈdʒɛn əˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.

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genocide British  

/ ˈdʒɛnəʊˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the policy of deliberately killing a nationality or ethnic group

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genocide Cultural  

1. The deliberate destruction of an entire race or nation. The Holocaust conducted by the Nazis in Germany and the Rwandan genocide are examples of attempts at genocide.

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Other Word Forms

• genocidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of genocide

First recorded in 1940–45; from Greek géno(s) “race” + -cide

Compare meaning

How does genocide compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ethnic cleansing vs. genocide

Example Sentences

Australia's federal police have ruled out an arrest of the president, with senior officials telling lawmakers in parliament that Herzog had "full immunity" covering civil and criminal matters, including genocide.

From Barron's

Australia's federal police have ruled out an arrest, with senior officials telling lawmakers this week that they received legal advice Herzog had "full immunity" covering civil and criminal matters, including genocide.

From Barron's

It also commemorates the millions of people outside the Jewish faith who were murdered through Nazi persecution, and those targeted in more recent genocides.

From BBC

A hundreds-strong crowd in Myanmar rallied on Tuesday against the country's prosecution for genocide, a rare public protest permitted by military authorities accused of the atrocities against the Rohingya minority.

From Barron's

She also specializes in international development economics, having worked on topics such as Rwanda's recovery following the 1994 genocide.

From Barron's

Related Words

• carnage
• mass murder
• massacre
• slaughter