internecine

adjective

in·ter·ne·cine ˌin-tər-ˈne-ˌsēn

-ˈnē-sᵊn,

-ˈnē-ˌsīn,

-nə-ˈsēn;

in-ˈtər-nə-ˌsēn

Synonyms of internecine next

: of, relating to, or involving conflict within a group

bitter internecine feuds

: marked by slaughter : deadly

especially : mutually destructive

Did you know?

Internecine comes from the Latin internecinus ("fought to the death" or "destructive"), which traces to the verb "necare" ("to kill") and the prefix inter-. ("Inter-" usually means "between" or "mutual" in Latin, but it can also indicate the completion of an action.) Internecine meant "deadly" when it appeared in English in the early 17th century, but when Samuel Johnson entered it in his dictionary almost a century later, he was apparently misled by "inter-" and defined the word as "endeavouring mutual destruction." Johnson's definition was carried into later dictionaries, and before long his sense was the dominant meaning of the word. "Internecine" developed the association with internal group conflict in the 20th century, and that's the most common sense today.

Examples of internecine in a Sentence

a political party that has suffered because of bitter internecine rivalries

Recent Examples on the Web

Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Recent reinventions of the genre have focused on such contemporary concerns as corporate overreach and the complex set of internecine conflicts that inevitably arise within—and threaten to destroy—pluralistic societies. —

Judy Berman, TIME, 9 Jan. 2025 These internecine feuds could be a harbinger for the next Congress, when Republicans will have an even slimmer House majority. —

Jonathan Easley, The Hill, 18 Dec. 2024 But the Venezuelan opposition has been beset by problems, such as short-term thinking, personal rivalries, internecine conflicts, and the exile of many of its members, which have thwarted its challenges to Maduro’s rule. —

Michael Shifter, Foreign Affairs, 31 Mar. 2023 But if Putin suddenly disappears from the picture, his courtiers will face a stark choice: go down the road of Godunov and plunge the country into chaos or circle the wagons, avoid an internecine struggle, and enable all groups to elect a new president in emergency national elections. —

Vladislav Zubok, Foreign Affairs, 28 June 2023 See all Example Sentences for internecine