battered woman

noun

1. battered woman syndromebattered woman syndrome

Word History and Origins

Origin of battered woman¹

First recorded in 1970–75

Example Sentences

The assistant district attorney was quoted in the paper saying that April “didn’t act in self-defense,” and that she “wasn’t in a relationship where she was a battered woman. She was in a relationship where there was violence perpetuated by both offenders, and she was the worst offender.”

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April’s defense attorney presented the idea of “Battered Woman Syndrome,” but it was a relatively untested defense.

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Although she had known the marriage was volatile, she did not think of Nicole at the time as a battered woman, even after Simpson was charged with assault on New Year’s Eve 1989.

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And she reminded the justices of the court's 2014 verdict in United States v Castleman, where it said "the only difference between a battered woman and a dead woman is the presence of a gun".

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“All too often, the only difference between a battered woman and a dead woman is the presence of a gun,” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote for the court, quoting a lawmaker.

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