genocide

American  

[jen-uh-sahyd] / ˈdʒɛn əˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the deliberate and systematic extermination of a national, racial, political, or cultural group.

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genocide British  

/ ˈdʒɛnəʊˌsaɪd /

noun

1. the policy of deliberately killing a nationality or ethnic group

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genocide Cultural  

1. The deliberate destruction of an entire race or nation. The Holocaust conducted by the Nazis in Germany and the Rwandan genocide are examples of attempts at genocide.

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Other Word Forms

• genocidal adjective

Etymology

Origin of genocide

First recorded in 1940–45; from Greek géno(s) “race” + -cide

Compare meaning

How does genocide compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• ethnic cleansing vs. genocide

Example Sentences

The diplomatic dispute arises from the ambiguous role that Rwanda, best known to many Americans for the 1994 genocide, now plays as a regional strongman.

From The Wall Street Journal

Several attendees accused the pair of being "genocide supporters", shouting "boo" and "get out of here" as a mosque leader gave a speech calling for the government to better engage with Muslim Australians.

From BBC

While denying offering the M23 military backing, Rwanda insists that it faces an existential threat from the presence in the eastern DRC of armed groups linked to the 1994 Rwandan genocide of the Tutsis.

From Barron's

A report examining the legal implications of the human rights violations -- especially whether they can be classified as genocide -- was submitted to the Greenlandic government in early February but has not yet been made public.

From Barron's

He declares flatly, “California was born in genocide,” which isn’t something you expect from someone likely to lean to the center.

From The Wall Street Journal

Related Words

• carnage
• mass murder
• massacre
• slaughter