femicide

noun

fem·​i·​cide ˈfe-mə-ˌsīd 

plural femicides

: the gender-based murder of a woman or girl by a man

There have been calls for a "national shutdown" to protest femicide in South Africa.

—Africa Check

… speaks to a generation of young people fed up with femicides, sexual assault, and the ever more pervasive violence in Mexico.

—Cody Copeland

Examples of femicide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Her family was preparing to stage a protest at that site today, to call attention to her unsolved murder case, and the thousands of other South African women who have been victims of femicide and gender-based violence. —Zanele Mji, Time, 21 Nov. 2025

Last year, there were 116 cases of femicide, according to Non Una Di Meno, a slight decrease from the previous two years. —Barbie Latza Nadeau, CNN Money, 18 Nov. 2025

There have been 501 femicides recorded through September of this year, and many advocates say the numbers are likely far underestimated. —Cassandra Garrison, USA Today, 6 Nov. 2025

Mozambique’s mobilization against autocracy gained traction, Argentina’s mass protests against femicide went mainstream, and Indonesia’s civil unrest over economic frustrations came to a head. —Michael Shank, MSNBC Newsweek, 27 Oct. 2025

Word History

Etymology

femi- (in Latin fēmina "woman") + -cide (after homicide) — more at feminine entry 1

First Known Use

1976, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for femicide

• actinide
• aldehyde
• alkoxide
• alongside
• amplified
• arsenide
• beautified
• biocide
• butoxide
• calcified
• ceramide
• certified