parricide

American  

[par-uh-sahyd] / ˈpær əˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing one's father, mother, or other close relative.

2. a person who commits such an act.

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parricide British  

/ ˈpærɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing either of one's parents

2. a person who kills his parent

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Other Word Forms

• parricidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of parricide

1545–55; < Latin parricīdum act of kin-murder, parricīda kin-killer, equivalent to pāri- (akin to Greek pāós, Attic pēós kinsman) + -cīdum, -cida -cide

Example Sentences

Comedy is especially susceptible to generational change and bias; although young comics often cite older ones as inspirations, and a few giants remain funny across the decades, the art survives by parricide.

From Los Angeles Times

"It was like a Greek tragedy unfolding, and it ended like a Greek tragedy - in a symbolic parricide," says journalist Olivier Beaumont.

From BBC

Related: The Le Pen family: family feud ends in political parricide | Observer profile Marine, who succeeded her father as leader in 2011, dismissed the move.

From The Guardian

It took an act of political parricide for her to murder sleeplessness.

From BBC

In France, the Le Pen family feud has long been viewed as something more like a Greek drama - and now there are mutterings of political parricide.

From BBC