femicide

[ fem-uh-sahyd ]

noun

1. the act of killing a woman, as by a domestic partner or a member of a criminal enterprise:

   The rate of femicide where there is drug trafficking is far greater than it is elsewhere.

2. the deliberate, wanton violation and massacre of women and girls, as in a particular ethnic group by an invading army. Compare genocide.
3. a person who kills a woman:

   In certain countries, femicides appear to act with impunity.

Word History and Origins

Origin of femicide¹

First recorded in 1820–30; feme + -i- + -cide

Example Sentences

Around a quarter are women and girls, most likely victims of sexual exploitation, human trafficking, or femicide.

From MIT Technology Review

The Chihuahua Attorney General’s Office on Tuesday announced authorities arrested a 25-year-old woman and a 24-year-old man and charged them with aggravated femicide.

From Washington Blade

Check out Calle 13’s “Latinoamérica” for a taste, or watch the fearless women of Mexico sing about the shocking wave of femicides rocking the region.

From Ozy

In the last few years, the women’s-rights movement, centering around demands to address a skyrocketing femicide epidemic in the face of the state’s inaction, had rapidly bloomed in Mexico, and Schnaas wanted to capitalize on the momentum.

From Time

It breaks my heart, because it is happening at a moment when femicide cases are increasing.

From Time

The most effective way to combat femicide involves eradicating misogyny and discrimination against women.

From The Daily Beast

Her book Femicide: The Politics of Woman Killing, resulted in the term being adopted in more than 15 countries in Latin America.

From The Daily Beast

Cases of “femicide” in Italy have been growing steadily in the last several years.

From The Daily Beast

In almost every femicide case in recent months, the women were trying to leave their relationship.

From The Daily Beast