genocide

play

noun geno·cide \ˈje-nə-ˌsīd\

Definition of genocide

: the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group

genocidal

play \ˌje-nə-ˈsī-d^əl\ adjective

See genocide defined for English-language learners

See genocide defined for kids

Recent Examples of genocide from the Web

And there have been 73 genocide campaigns against them, says Dakhil.

— jay nordlinger, National Review, "A Brave Lady’s Fight Against ISIS," 17 July 2017
Historical drama set against the Armenian genocide.

— chris foran, Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, "What's new on DVD this week: 'Kong: Skull Island,' 'Free Fire,' more," 13 July 2017
But less remarked upon at the time was Barack Obama’s rapprochement with another old foe: Sudan, whose president, Omar al-Bashir, is wanted by the International Criminal Court on charges of orchestrating genocide.

— The Economist, "Donald Trump ducks a decision on sanctions on Khartoum," 13 July 2017
Against the backdrop of ovens that were once used to incinerate people, Higgins warned that the U.S. is more susceptible to genocide than during World War II.

— rebecca nelson, Cosmopolitan, "A Republican Congressman Filmed a Selfie Video From Inside a Gas Chamber at Auschwitz," 5 July 2017
The genocide of Native Americans was about identity, right?

— cody delistraty, Longreads, "Building a World of Acceptance: A Conversation with DeRay Mckesson," 5 July 2017
Last year, then-Secretary of State John Kerry said that ISIS was carrying out genocide against Christians and other minorities in Iraq.

— john wisely, Detroit Free Press, "Ex-Chaldean crime boss Akrawi faces deportation as part of ICE raids in Detroit," 3 July 2017
Last summer, a plank in the platform of the Movement for Black Lives bizarrely accused Israel of genocide.

— jonathan a. greenblatt, Time, "Anti-Semitism Is Creeping Into Progressivism," 1 July 2017
Both the Obama and Trump administrations declared the latter individuals victims of genocide.

— ashley zlatopolsky, The Atlantic, "Which Christians Is Trump Willing to Protect?," 29 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'genocide.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of genocide

geno- + -cide

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1944

See Words from the same year

Other Government and Politics Terms

agent provocateur, agitprop, autarky, cabal, egalitarianism, federalism, hegemony, plenipotentiary, popular sovereignty, socialism

GENOCIDE Defined for English Language Learners

genocide

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noun

Definition of genocide for English Language Learners

: the deliberate killing of people who belong to a particular racial, political, or cultural group

Medical Dictionary

genocide

play

noun geno·cide \ˈjen-ə-ˌsīd\

Medical Definition of genocide

: the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, political, or cultural group—compare homicide

genocidal

\ˌjen-ə-ˈsīd-^əl\play adjective

Law Dictionary

genocide

play

noun geno·cide \ˈje-nə-ˌsīd\

Legal Definition of genocide

: acts committed with intent to partially or wholly destroy a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group; also : the crime of committing such an act