mercy killing

noun

1. euthanasia ( def 1 ).

mercy killing

noun

1. another term for euthanasia

Word History and Origins

Origin of mercy killing¹

First recorded in 1930–35

Example Sentences

Hunter denies the charge, with his lawyers arguing it was a mercy killing after Janice, his wife of more than 50 years, begged him to end her torment.

From Reuters

The only pathway to saving our republic goes through the electoral mercy killing of the Republican Party, and the only savior is the one you see in the mirror.

From Salon

Gross, in an essay, asked anyone who had said the murder of George Hodgins was understandable, anyone who had called it a “mercy killing,” to think about whether that San Diego mother had heard them.

From Los Angeles Times

She described mercy killing of the terminally ill an “incredibly important debate that we are not allowed to have simply because of where we live.”

From Seattle Times

It was deemed a "mercy killing," with all the sensationalized press coverage and impassioned public debate a case like that tends to spark.

From Salon

Related Words

• assisted dying