war crime

noun

: a crime (such as genocide or maltreatment of prisoners) committed during or in connection with war

—usually plural

war criminal noun

Examples of war crime in a Sentence

He was found guilty of torture and other war crimes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Human Rights Watch said those expulsions amounted to war crimes, a charge that Israel rejects. — Ruth Sherlock, NPR, 24 Oct. 2026

The International Criminal Court in 2023 issued an arrest warrant for Putin for war crimes, accusing him of personal responsibility for the abductions of children from Ukraine. — ABC News, 24 Oct. 2026

Did the initial response by the Israeli government constitute a war crime? — Jordi Graupera, New Yorker, 22 Oct. 2026

The author argued that designating the group as a terrorist organization put vandalism, public demonstrations, and base disruptions on the same level as al-Qaeda war crimes. — Larisha Paul, Rolling Stone, 21 Oct. 2026

Word History

First Known Use

1871, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for war crime

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime

Legal Definition

war crime

noun

: an act committed usually during an international war for which individual criminal liability will be imposed by a domestic or international tribunal

specifically : a violation of the laws or customs of war as embodied or recognized by international treaty, court decisions, or established practice

—usually used in pl.

Note: Following World War II, the Charter of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg first codified war crimes including crimes against humanity. Also encompassed in the legal concept of war crimes is the crime of planning or waging a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties.