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deicide

deicide

1 9.9
Removing a god's power or influence as a symbol of losing faith
  • noun
  • /ˈdeɪɪˌsaɪd/
  • Formal
: deicidio
  • Some activists argue that certain political movements embody deicide, aiming to overthrow established religious beliefs.

Examples

  • The philosopher's writings often explored themes of deicide, questioning the validity of divine authority in modern society.

  • The revolution wasn't deicide, just that it wanted to replace the Catholic frames that were the main support of the oppressive class of the nobles.

    Blog text (29)
  • The new catechism rejects the charge of deicide and reaffirms God's covenant with the Jews, as well as the validity of the Hebrew Bible and Jesus' life as a Jew.

    Academic text (1996)
  • The group's ideology was rooted in deicide, as they sought to dismantle the influence of traditional religions.

Surface Forms

deicide singular
deicides plural

Morphology

deicide = deity (opaque) = dei + cide

This figurative sense extends the literal 'god-killing' meaning, so the connection to the parts is not directly predictable from the form alone.

Etymology

Deicide can also be used in a figurative way to mean the rejection or destruction of a god's power or influence. The word comes from Latin deus 'god' and -cide 'to kill', so it can mean a literal killing or a symbolic 'killing' of divine authority.