internecine

[ in-ter-nee-seen, -sahyn, -nes-een, -nes-ahyn ]

/ ˌɪn tərˈni sin, -saɪn, -ˈnɛs in, -ˈnɛs aɪn /

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See synonyms for internecine on Thesaurus.com

adjective

of or relating to conflict or struggle within a group: an internecine feud among proxy holders.

mutually destructive.

characterized by great slaughter; deadly.

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Also in·ter·ne·cive

[in-ter-nee-siv, -nes-iv]. /ˌɪn tɛrˈni sɪv, -ˈnɛs ɪv/.

Origin of internecine

1655–65; <Latin internecīnus, internecīvus murderous, equivalent to internec(āre) to kill out, exterminate (inter-inter- + necāre to kill) + -īnus-ine¹, -īvus-ive

Words nearby internecine

international temperature scale, International Union for Conservation of Nature, international unit, International Workingmen's Association, interne, internecine, internee, internegative, internet, internet access provider, internet of things

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022

How to use internecine in a sentence

And much of the reported violence is internecine warfare between Christians and Muslims, with atrocities on all sides.
State Department Highlights Actual Oppression Against Christians|Jay Michaelson|July 28, 2014|DAILY BEAST
ISIS has been at the root of the internecine warfare between Syrian rebel groups.
Al-Qaeda Denounces Syrian Jihadist Group ISIS|Jamie Dettmer|February 3, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Democrats are unlikely to face the internecine battles the Republican Party has endured over the last five years.
It’s DINO Hunting Season as the Democrats Gird for Their Own Civil War|David Freedlander|December 11, 2013|DAILY BEAST
She is even-handed in detailing the internecine battles between Insurgents and Regulars for control of the party.
Wait for the Movie Version of Doris Kearns Goodwin’s “The Bully Pulpit”|David Nasaw|November 12, 2013|DAILY BEAST

They blamed the Americans for the internecine struggle that broke out among competing Afghan political parties afterward.
9/11 Mastermind Khalid Sheikh Mohammed Finally on Trial at Guantanamo|Terry McDermott|May 4, 2012|DAILY BEAST
You have come just in time to save us, most likely, from an internecine strife which might have ruined us all.
Hidden Gold|Wilder Anthony
The Kingdom thus distracted by internecine troubles was an easy prey to the conquering Napoleon.
The War Upon Religion|Rev. Francis A. Cunningham
An internecine conflict between the disputants seemed to be inevitable.
History of the Intellectual Development of Europe, Volume I (of 2)|John William Draper
The portents in 1896 were vastly more dangerous than those of 1860, when peace and internecine war hung in the balance.
Appletons' Popular Science Monthly, April 1900|Various
The internecine struggle was that of rival nations and creeds.
Gatherings From Spain|Richard Ford

British Dictionary definitions for internecine

internecine

/ (ˌɪntəˈniːsaɪn) /

adjective

mutually destructive or ruinous; maiming both or all sidesinternecine war

of or relating to slaughter or carnage; bloody

of or involving conflict within a group or organization

Word Origin for internecine

C17: from Latin internecīnus, from internecāre to destroy, from necāre to kill

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

internecine

Origin of internecine

Words nearby internecine

Words related to internecine

How to use internecine in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for internecine

Word Origin for internecine