fratricidal

American  

[fra-tri-sahyd-l] / ˌfræ trɪˈsaɪd l /

adjective

1. being or relating to the act of killing one’s brother or a member of one’s own tribe or group.

   The Mongol Empire was done in by its recurrent fratricidal infighting.

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Etymology

Origin of fratricidal

First recorded in 1665–75; fratricid(e) ( def. ) + -al ¹ ( def. )

Example Sentences

“This is a fratricidal war, so I doubly did not want to participate in it,” he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Aug. 17, 2023

In it, he called on the new coup leaders “to come to their senses to avoid a fratricidal war that Burkina Faso does not need.”

From Seattle Times • Oct. 2, 2022

"The Church prays that this battle will end as soon as possible, so that as few brothers as possible will kill each other in this fratricidal war."

From Reuters • Sep. 26, 2022

Marketing the war, however, is a tricky business, not least because there are still so many arguments about who did what to whom during fighting that pitched neighbors and friends into fratricidal conflict.

From New York Times • Nov. 28, 2018

Is it necessary to spell out that societies mired in fratricidal chaos are vulnerable to conquest?

From "1491" by Charles C. Mann