homicidal

[hom-uh-sahyd-l, hoh-muh-]

adjective

1. of or relating to homicide.

2. having a tendency to commit homicide.

Other Word Forms

• homicidally adverb
• unhomicidal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of homicidal¹

First recorded in 1715–25; homicide + -al ¹

Example Sentences

The film’s last act follows a massive reenactment at a Medford, Ore., high school, where a “mass casualty drill” was scheduled after a janitor turned himself into police before acting on homicidal thoughts.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Four of the world’s 10 most homicidal cities are now in Ecuador, says the Igarapé Institute, a Brazilian think tank.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

By the time the homicidal aberration tears out of her like an angry insect from a rotten apple, Matty’s fate is already sealed.

Read more on Salon

Lost is an essential distinction: Cartels, while homicidal, are driven by profits.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The film is a clever comment on the inextricable themes of masculinity and motor vehicles, summoning the energy of ’50s car culture and giving it a fearsome, eventually homicidal edge.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• bloodthirsty 
• maniacal 
• violent