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

Gatwa moved to Scotland as a toddler when his family fled the Rwandan genocide.

From BBC

She panicked one night when classical music was played on the radio – similar to music played on Rwandan radio the night the genocide began.

From BBC

Despite publicly shaming a man as a “genocide supporter.”

From The Wall Street Journal

The war in eastern Congo dates back to the Rwandan genocide in 1994 and generations of diplomats have tried and failed to secure lasting peace.

From The Wall Street Journal

Asked about what he thinks of people claiming there is a "white genocide" in South Africa, he says he thinks they "have no real understanding of what a genocide is".

From BBC

Related Words

• carnage
• mass murder
• massacre
• slaughter