infanticide

noun

in·​fan·​ti·​cide in-ˈfan-tə-ˌsīd How to pronounce infanticide (audio)
1
: the killing of an infant
2
[Late Latin infanticida, from Latin infant-, infans + -i- + -cida -cide] : one who kills an infant
infanticidal adjective

Examples of infanticide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web She was declared guilty after rejecting her legal defense with New Zealand’s insanity and infanticide laws. Angel Saunders, Peoplemag, 17 Aug. 2023 This variant of the base-rate fallacy arises because while multiple cases of SIDS are rare, so too are multiple maternal infanticides. David Robert Grimes, Scientific American, 8 Dec. 2023 There is no reference to infanticide, but La Llorona is portrayed as a ghost after being murdered by her husband. Sarah Quiñones Wolfson, Los Angeles Times, 16 Oct. 2023 Scientists have also never observed infanticide among bonobos, per the New York Times’ Carl Zimmer. Sarah Kuta, Smithsonian Magazine, 17 Nov. 2023 Fewer than 5% of new moms experiencing postpartum psychosis engage in violent behavior such as infanticide, according to Postpartum Support International, a nonprofit organization educating the emotional changes in women during pregnancy and after pregnancy. Jonathan Bandler, USA TODAY, 7 Aug. 2023 High costs of having children The recent concerns around infanticide in South Korea coincide with ongoing anxiety over the country’s demographic trends. Time, 21 July 2023 The idea behind safe haven laws was to stop maternal infanticide, the extraordinarily rare, headline-grabbing story of a newborn found in a garbage can. Maria Laurino, The New Republic, 29 June 2023 And to address violence against newborns, lawmakers this week passed amendments to the criminal code, which will take effect in six months, that elevate the punishment for infanticide from a maximum of 10 years to the same as murder: life imprisonment or the death penalty. Time, 21 July 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'infanticide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Late Latin infanticidium, from Latin infant-, infans + -i- + -cidium -cide

First Known Use

1611, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of infanticide was in 1611

Dictionary Entries Near infanticide

Cite this Entry

“Infanticide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/infanticide. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

infanticide

noun
in·​fan·​ti·​cide in-ˈfant-ə-ˌsīd How to pronounce infanticide (audio)
1
: the killing of an infant
2
: one who kills an infant
infanticidal adjective

Legal Definition

infanticide

noun
in·​fan·​ti·​cide in-ˈfan-tə-ˌsīd How to pronounce infanticide (audio)
: the killing of a newly or recently born child

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