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Synonyms

mercy killing

American  

noun

  1. euthanasia.


mercy killing British  

noun

  1. another term for euthanasia

"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

Etymology

Origin of mercy killing

First recorded in 1930–35


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:

She described mercy killing of the terminally ill an “incredibly important debate that we are not allowed to have simply because of where we live.”

From Seattle Times ● Jul. 31, 2022

California’s law prohibits the practice from being referred to as euthanasia, mercy killing, assisted suicide or homicide.

From Los Angeles Times ● May 12, 2016

The Great Kershaw versus the hitless wonders known as the Mets qualifies as a mercy killing.

From New York Times ● Jul. 24, 2015

The record blew my ears off with its triple-layered wordplay and its incisored, insider’s view of small-town life-cycle letdowns—all delivered like a mercy killing by a singer who’d just turned 24.

From Slate ● Jun. 26, 2015

It is being seen as a landmark case in India where euthanasia or mercy killing is illegal.

From BBC ● Jan. 25, 2011

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