patricide

American  

[pa-truh-sahyd, pey‑] / ˈpæ trəˌsaɪd, ˈpeɪ‑ /

noun

1. the act of killing one's own father.

2. a person who commits such an act.

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patricide British  

/ ˈpætrɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing one's father

2. a person who kills his father

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Other Word Forms

• patricidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of patricide

First recorded in 1585–95; patri- + -cide

Explanation

When a father is killed by his child, it's called patricide. Patricide is a crime that shows up in a lot of classic literature, which makes you wonder about the authors' relationships with their own dads. One of the most famous literary examples of patricide is the Greek myth of Oedipus, who was taken far from his family as a baby after a prophecy said he was fated to commit patricide. Despite this precautionary measure, Oedipus did, in fact, eventually (unknowingly) kill his own father. The word patricide combines the Latin pater, or "father," and the suffix -cide, "killer" or "killing."

Example Sentences

At the same time, she commits an act of symbolic patricide, with a Plath-y edge of “Daddy, I’m through” in its tone, and a velvet note of the sublime in its feedback loop.

From The New Yorker • Sep. 27, 2019

However starkly confessional “I Love You, Daddy” sometimes registers as, it can also be seen as an act of symbolic patricide, a way of addressing a tarnished idol.

From New York Times • Nov. 12, 2017

But amid the comic patricide there is, as they say, a little bit of politics.

From The Guardian • Aug. 24, 2011

His competitive relationship with the past, a kind of serial patricide, culminated with the “murder” of his mentor, Oscar Hammerstein II.

From New York Times • Apr. 30, 2010

The scene becomes an anecdote, an action that would unnerve Vera Louise and defend him against patricide.

From "Jazz" by Toni Morrison