fratricide
- noun
- /ˈfrætrɪˌsaɪd/
- NSFW
- Did you know that most of the Ottoman sultans followed a tradition of fratricide after assuming the throne?
- an act of fratricide
Examples
-
According to the account of the first fratricide in Genesis, God cursed Cain for murdering his brother, Abel, in a fit of jealousy.
Academic text (2018) -
Certainly, these tragic stories of fratricide, like the one out of Clearwater, are causing the judges to take notice.
Blog text (23) -
The title immediately forces readers to connect this ancient act of fratricide with the Holocaust.
Academic text (1996) -
Hamlet Garcia is overwhelmed not by the task of avenging a fratricide against his father, but by the task of coming to terms with a fratricidal war.
Academic text (2018) -
Cain's fratricide had represented more than jealousy over a single offering—the first murder had been an attack on all the children that Abel would have sired had he been permitted to live.
Academic text (2018) -
In ancient societies, fratricide was often seen as the ultimate betrayal between siblings.
-
The tragic story of Cain and Abel is often cited as an early example of fratricide.
-
Many families have been torn apart by fratricide, leading to deep rifts that last for generations.
Antonyms
How Deadly
Surface Forms
Morphology
fratricide = fratri + cide
This is a learned classical formation from fratri- 'brother' plus -cide 'killing', but the elements are not transparent to an average learner.
Etymology
Fratricide comes from two Latin parts: frater meaning 'brother' and -cide meaning 'kill'. So, fratricide is the act of killing your own brother or sister.