Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

justifiable homicide

British  

noun

  1. lawful killing, as in self-defence or to prevent a crime

"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.

See Examples For:

In Jacksonville, police and prosecutors review cases together when investigating whether a killing is a justifiable homicide.

From The Wall Street Journal Nov. 16, 2025

George Barnhill Sr., a prosecutor from nearby Waycross, was given the case, but told investigators the killing was a justifiable homicide.

From Washington Post May 9, 2020

The Clark County prosecutor ruled the killing a justifiable homicide, The New York Times reported.

From Fox News Mar. 8, 2019

SB175 clarifies the definition of justifiable homicide and makes it more difficult for people convicted of domestic violence to own firearms.

From Washington Times May 21, 2015

To me, there seems no reason for calling these excusable homicides, and the killing a man in defence of property, a justifiable homicide.

From Memoir, Correspondence, And Miscellanies, From The Papers Of Thomas Jefferson, Volume 1 by Randolph, Thomas Jefferson

Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Dictionary.com's Learning Companion

Go beyond just looking up words.
Remember them forever with VocabTrainer.

Start training