filicide

[ fil-uh-sahyd ]

noun

1. a person who kills their own child.
2. the act of killing one's child:

   Ancient myth contains numerous examples of filicide.

filicide

/ ˈfɪlɪˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the act of killing one's own son or daughter
2. a person who does this

Derived Forms

• ˌfiliˈcidal, adjective

Other Words From

• fili·cidal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of filicide¹

First recorded in 1655–65; from Latin fīli(us) “son” ( fīli(a) “daughter”) + -cide

Word History and Origins

Origin of filicide¹

C17: from Latin fīlius son or fīlia daughter + -cide

Example Sentences

It’s the ultimate “How could she?” play in the Western canon, a mother driven to the horrendous act of filicide as spiteful revenge on a blithely unfaithful husband.

From Washington Post

Podcasters, reporters and TV producers rushed to South Carolina to tell a Shakespearean story of filicide, anchored by a main character whose button-down shirts seem to cover a terrifying moral void.

From New York Times

Crimes of the Future Rated R for filicide, surgeries and power-drill violence.

From New York Times

While the motivations behind filicide are complex, Ms. Reece believes it most likely involves a desire for spousal revenge.

From New York Times

There is jealousy, passion and brutal filicide, all followed by eternal haunting.

From Los Angeles Times