honor killing

noun

|Updated on: 18 Jul 2018

Definition of honor killing

: the traditional practice in some countries of killing a family member who is believed to have brought shame on the family

Recent Examples of honor killing from the Web

Latest developments: Mother of man slain in Harris County 'honor killing' relates threat Prosecutors have said Irsan, who lived in a rural Montgomery County compound with his 12 children, planned to kill his daughter, Nesreen, as well.

— brian rogers, Houston Chronicle, "Houston 'honor killings' death penalty trial breaks for 4th of July," 3 July 2018
Indeed, one of the strands in the 2006 feature After Dark Falls, about an honor killing in an immigrant family in Sweden, already covered similar terrain more successfully.

— boyd van hoeij, The Hollywood Reporter, "'What Will People Say' ('Hva vil folk si'): Film Review," 25 Sep. 2017

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