homicide
Americannoun
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the killing of a human being by another person
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a person who kills another
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of homicide
First recorded in 1325–75; Middle English, from Middle French, from Latin homicīdium “a killing,” homicīda “killer,” equivalent to homi- (combining form of homō “man”) + -cīdium, -cīda, noun suffix; see -cide
Explanation
The noun homicide means a murder. If you kill another person, you are committing a homicide. The level of the homicide is legally defined as murder if the act was intentional and as manslaughter if it was unintentional. Remember the meaning of homicide by remembering that cide, from the Latin cida, refers to killing, while the Latin homo means "man.” So homicide means “killing a man.” You can see another example in this quote from Oliver Wendell Holmes: “Life and language are alike sacred. Homicide and verbicide — that is, violent treatment of a word with fatal results to its legitimate meaning, which is its life — are alike forbidden.”
Vocabulary lists containing homicide
Tears of a Tiger
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Latin Love, Vol II: cadere
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And Then There Were None
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
In a statement to The Times, however, L.A. police said Downer’s case was “suspicious” but was not yet being investigated as a homicide.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 30, 2026
After the discovery, the hiker placed an emergency call, and deputies from the sheriff’s Morongo Basin Station confirmed the find and requested aid from homicide detectives.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Still, that number dwarfs China’s homicide rate, which came in at 0.44 per 100,000 in 2024, according to official data.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 19, 2026
These trends emerged despite the mayor's assertion that London's per capita homicide rate has fallen to its lowest level on record.
From BBC • Apr. 9, 2026
From 1991 to 2001, the homicide rate among young black men—who were disproportionately represented among crack dealers—fell 48 percent, compared to 30 percent for older black men and older white men.
From "Freakonomics: A Rogue Economist Explores the Hidden Side of Everything" by Steven D. Levitt
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
