Femicide
noun ·Rare ·Advanced level
Definitions
- 1 The killing of a woman or girl, originally (figurative) with reference to loss of virtue but now usually (law) specifically because of their sex or gender and especially such a killing by a man motivated by misogyny. countable, uncountable
"One of the most pernicious nuisances of London is the insistence of voluptuaries, who, relying on the respectability of their rank, and the weight of their purse, endevour in open day to seduce young women who attract their attention in the public streets!... This species of delinquency may be denominated femicide; for the monster who betrays a credulous virgin, and consigns her to infamy, is in reality a most relentless murderer!"
- 2 A person who commits such an act. countable, rare, uncountable
Example
More examples"One of the most pernicious nuisances of London is the insistence of voluptuaries, who, relying on the respectability of their rank, and the weight of their purse, endevour in open day to seduce young women who attract their attention in the public streets!... This species of delinquency may be denominated femicide; for the monster who betrays a credulous virgin, and consigns her to infamy, is in reality a most relentless murderer!"
Etymology
From fem- + -icide, ultimately derived from Latin fēmina (“woman”), after the model of homicide, genocide, etc.
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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.