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parenticide

parenticide

1 9.9
An act of killing one's own mother or father
  • noun
  • /ˌpɛrəˈnɪsɪd/
  • Offensive
: parricidio
  • The court case centered on the shocking parenticide committed by the defendant.

Examples

  • The crime of parenticide is one of the most heinous acts imaginable.

  • Historians have documented several instances of parenticide in royal families.

  • The film's plot revolves around a mysterious parenticide that changes the protagonist's life.

  • Many cultures view parenticide as a taboo that must be avoided.

  • The shocking case of parenticide left the community in disbelief and mourning.

  • In historical texts, parenticide is often linked to power struggles within royal families.

  • The novel explores the psychological effects of parenticide on family dynamics.

Synonyms

murder
vsparenticide
  • NSFW
∞ 1.6

An illegal killing of one person by another

is limited to killing a parent rather than any person
homicide
vsparenticide
  • NSFW
601 6.1

The killing of one person by another

is the family-specific act rather than general killing
patricide
vsparenticide
  • NSFW
2 9.9

The act of killing someone's father

refers to killing either parent rather than only the father
matricide
vsparenticide
  • NSFW
2 9.9

The act of killing one's mother or a person who does this

refers to killing either parent rather than only the mother
parricide
vsparenticide
  • NSFW
1 9.9

An act of killing your own mother or father

is broader, covering killing either or both parents

Surface Forms

parenticide singular
parenticides plural

Morphology

parenticide = parent (transparent) = parent + cide

This is a direct compositional formation from 'parent' and '-cide', meaning the killing of one's parent or parents.

Etymology

Parenticide comes from parent- meaning 'parent' and the ending -cide meaning 'kill', the same -cide in suicide and homicide. So parenticide means 'the act of killing a parent', which is why we use it for the crime itself.