war crime

noun

: a crime (such as genocide or maltreatment of prisoners) committed during or in connection with war

—usually used in plural

war criminal noun

Examples of war crime in a Sentence

He was found guilty of torture and other war crimes.

Recent Examples on the Web

Israeli authorities have caused a forced displacement of Palestinian people in Gaza to an extent that constitutes war crimes and crimes against humanity, Human Rights Watch said in a report on Thursday. —Reuters, NBC News, 14 Nov. 2024

The bottom line is - Russia’s war in Ukraine is a crime of aggression; Russia’s war in Ukraine involves a litany of war crimes, crimes against humanity, and even elements of genocide, as defined under international law. —Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 1 Nov. 2024

The Russian troops who killed the Ukrainian drone operators were later accused of committing war crimes. —Nina Turner, Newsweek, 29 Oct. 2024

As vice president, Harris has repeatedly condemned Russian war crimes in Ukraine. —Lena Surzhko Harned, The Conversation, 22 Oct. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Legal Definition

war crime

noun

: an act committed usually during an international war for which individual criminal liability will be imposed by a domestic or international tribunal

specifically : a violation of the laws or customs of war as embodied or recognized by international treaty, court decisions, or established practice

—usually used in pl.

Note: Following World War II, the Charter of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg first codified war crimes including crimes against humanity. Also encompassed in the legal concept of war crimes is the crime of planning or waging a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties.