homicide
HOM-uh-side
/ˈhɒmɪsaɪd/
The killing of one human being by another.
A neutral legal classification covering lawful killings (self-defense) and unlawful ones (murder, manslaughter).
The story behind the word. Derived from Latin 'homicidium', compounding 'homo' (man/human) and '-cida' or 'caedere' (to cut down or kill).
Word relationships
- slaughter: Slaughter emphasizes brutality, whereas homicide is neutral legal terminology.
Commonly confused with
- murder: Murder is specifically unlawful homicide committed with malicious intent.
Word family
- homicidal (adjective): Having a tendency toward or involving murder.
Collocations
- homicide detective
- culpable homicide
- justifiable homicide
- homicide rate
Example sentences
- "Detectives opened a homicide investigation after human remains were found near the riverbank." Police investigation
Memory hook
HOMO (human) + CIDE (kill, as in suicide) = killing a human. Human killing.
When not to use
Do not treat homicide as an exact synonym for murder; all murders are homicides, but not all homicides are criminal.
Fun facts
- Coroners must report all deaths caused by external actions as homicide, even if legally justified.
Related words
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