matricide

American  

[ma-tri-sahyd, mey-] / ˈmæ trɪˌsaɪd, ˈmeɪ- /

noun

1. the act of killing one's mother.

2. a person who kills their mother.

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matricide British  

/ ˈmeɪ-, ˈmætrɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing one's own mother

2. a person who kills his mother

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Other Word Forms

• matricidal
  adjective

Etymology

Origin of matricide

First recorded 1585–95; from Latin mātricīdium matricide ( def. 1 ), mātricīda matricide ( def. 2 ); see matri-, -cide

Explanation

If someone kills his or her own mother, it's called matricide. You can find plenty of matricide in ancient Greek myths. The suffix -cide is a clue that something murderous is going on with this word: it means "killer," from the Latin -cida, "cutter or slayer." You can find it in words like insecticide and pesticide too. The first part of matricide comes from the root mater, or "mother."

Example Sentences

The matricide trial of Orestes, portrayed as a shining moment for Athens by Aeschylus in “The Oresteia,” becomes a nihilistic farce in the hands of Euripides.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 6, 2026

It is a penetrating and restrained portrait of a matricide trial that will leave you moved and changed.

From Seattle Times • May 10, 2023

Presumably, we want a severe social sanction against matricide; parents will certainly think so.

From The New Yorker • Apr. 8, 2019

By the time Holt is galloping through flames and Vandevere is threatening to kill Dumbo’s mom — matricide being a studio signature — the movie has gone enjoyably bonkers.

From New York Times • Mar. 27, 2019

Nor was it the Electra of Sophocles, the calm and impassive accomplice of an untroubled and unhesitating matricide, who showed herself ever in passing to the intent and serious vision of Webster.

From The Age of Shakespeare by Swinburne, Algernon Charles