war crime

noun

1. 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.

war crime

noun

1. 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

Other Word Forms

• war criminal noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of war crime¹

First recorded in 1940–45

Example Sentences

The ICC accused them of committing war crimes during the Israeli offensive in Gaza, including using starvation as a method of warfare and attacks against civilians.

Read more on The Wall Street Journal

Another court in The Hague, the International Criminal Court, has issued arrest warrants for Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity.

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Putin is subject to an international arrest warrant for war crimes, and Poland and Lithuania have already signalled they would execute it if he were to travel through their countries.

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Former Yugoslav army chief Nebojsa Pavkovic, convicted of war crimes by a UN court, died on Monday less than a month after being granted an early release, the Serbian presidency said.

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In a ruling that made headlines around the world, the ICC in November found "reasonable grounds" to believe Netanyahu and Gallant bore "criminal responsibility" for alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

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