patricide

noun

pat·​ri·​cide ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd How to pronounce patricide (audio)
1
[Latin patricida, from patr- + -cida -cide] : one who murders his or her own father
2
[Late Latin patricidium, from Latin patr- + -cidium -cide] : the murder of one's own father
patricidal adjective

Examples of patricide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The patricide was covered in lurid detail in the press. Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023 Within her extended Olympian family – forged in patricide and infidelity – she’s known as the trashy one. Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 May 2023 Of course, the paradox doesn’t apply just to instances of grand-patricide, but to all hypothetical situations where a time traveler goes back to prevent something from occurring. Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2023 After all, Kendall’s methods since his press-conference patricide at the end of Season 2 have come straight out of Logan’s playbook—and this season has delighted in the parallels. Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2021 And Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) kills the planet that is his father - a private Ragnarok that's also a righteous patricide. Darren Franich, EW.com, 10 June 2021 As recently as the early 20th century, Chinese fathers could murder sons and get off with a warning; punishments for patricide, by contrast, were strict. Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2020 The final bill preserves the tax, but temporarily doubles those thresholds — in 2026, the status quo estate tax go back into effect (watch out for an uptick in patricides among the one percent in 2025). Eric Levitz, Daily Intelligencer, 15 Dec. 2017 And so a new narrative emerged, one of patricide -- the killing of one's father. Ken Daley, NOLA.com, 18 July 2017

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

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of patricide was in 1576

Dictionary Entries Near patricide

Cite this Entry

“Patricide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patricide. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Medical Definition

patricide

noun
pat·​ri·​cide ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd How to pronounce patricide (audio)
: murder of a father by his son or daughter

Legal Definition

patricide

noun
pat·​ri·​cide ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd How to pronounce patricide (audio)
1
: an individual who murders his or her father
2
: the murder of an individual's own father
Etymology

Latin patricida, from patr- pater father + -cida killer

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