parricide

noun

par·​ri·​cide ˈper-ə-ˌsīd 

ˈpa-rə-

1

[Latin parricida killer of a close relative, from parri- (perhaps akin to Greek pēos kinsman by marriage) + -cida -cide] : one that murders his or her father, mother, or a close relative

2

[Latin parricidium murder of a close relative, from parri- + -cidium -cide] : the act of a parricide

Examples of parricide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

Macron’s ascent to the presidency began, like a certain Greek tragedy, with parricide. —Arthur Goldhammer, Foreign Affairs, 12 Dec. 2018

Everything seems to be pointing toward parricide, but the future is no simpler than the past. —Adam Shatz, The New York Review of Books, 2 Jan. 2020

To write in Baldwin’s wake means to displace the father-teacher in a Whitmanesque act of parricide—not to dutifully shoulder the same historical burdens, but to comprehend one’s own historical moment more clearly. —Ismail Muhammad, Slate Magazine, 15 Feb. 2017

But University of Florida criminologist Kathleen Heide, who specializes in parricide or children who kill their parents, has said that the majority of kids are driven to kill a parent by severe trauma at the hands of that parent. —Mary Emily O'Hara, NBC News, 22 May 2017

Though parricide is a rare phenomenon, experts say abuse and neglect play a pivotal role in many cases of children who kill their parents. —Andrea Simakis, cleveland.com, 21 May 2017

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1545, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Legal Definition

parricide

noun

par·​ri·​cide ˈpar-ə-ˌsīd 

1

: a person who murders his or her mother or father or sometimes a close relative

2

: the act of a parricide

Etymology

Latin parricida killer of a close relative