honour killing

British

noun

a murder committed by a male on a female relative considered to have brought dishonour to the family, usually through sexual activity forbidden by religion or tradition

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

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.

Payzee Mahmod, whose sister Banaz was killed in a so-called honour killing after leaving a forced marriage, spoke to the BBC last October.

From BBC

The tragic murder of a teenage girl by her father in a so-called "honour killing" has prompted Iran's President Hassan Rouhani to demand a speedy review of the bill on the protection of women from violence.

From BBC

Black Lives Matter Denmark labelled it a "racist copycat honour killing" on Facebook.

From BBC

The Kurdish couple fled what they describe as a “very good life” in northern Iraq after Nabas, a former police officer, claims threats were made against his older daughter after he intervened to save a young woman from being the victim of an “honour” killing.

From The Guardian

Police in northern Iran have arrested a man accused of murdering his 14-year-old daughter in an "honour killing" that has sparked widespread outrage.

From BBC

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023