Word of the day · 25 May 2026
genocide
/ˈdʒɛnəsaɪd/
noun
The deliberate killing of a large number of people from a nation or ethnic group, with intent to destroy that group in whole or in part.
In a sentence
- The tribunal examined whether the killings met the legal test for genocide.
- Memorials teach how genocide depends on planning as well as hatred.
- Historians document stages that can precede genocide.
In an image
Origin
Coined in 1944 by Raphael Lemkin from Greek genos (race, kind) and Latin -cide (killing), then adopted into international law.
History
Lemkin sought a name for the crime of destroying a group as such, after the Holocaust and earlier mass atrocities. The 1948 UN Genocide Convention set a legal definition centered on specific acts plus intent. Journalists and courts still argue over when the word applies. People look it up because it is among the gravest charges in public language.
Nearby words
atrocity · massacre · extermination
A legal and moral word for attempting to erase a people.