war crime
noun
Usually war crimes. crimes committed against an enemy, prisoners of war, or subjects in wartime that violate international agreements or, as in the case of genocide, are offenses against humanity.
Words nearby war crime
war bonnet, war bride, war chest, war cloud, war correspondent, war crime, war crimes, war cry, war dance, war department, war establishment
Origin of war crime
First recorded in 1940–45
OTHER WORDS FROM war crime
war criminal, nounDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2020
British Dictionary definitions for war crimes
war crime
noun
a crime committed in wartime in violation of the accepted rules and customs of war, such as genocide, ill-treatment of prisoners of war, etc
Derived forms of war crime
war criminal, nounCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
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Cultural definitions for war crimes
war crimes
Acts committed by soldiers or government officials, either in the course of a war or in bringing on a war, that violate the customs of warfare. Examples of war crimes include atrocities committed against civilians (see My Lai massacre) and the mistreatment of prisoners of war. After World War II, twenty-two Nazi leaders were tried at Nuremberg by the victorious Allies, and twelve were sentenced to death for war crimes. (See Nuremberg trials.)
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.