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

More | Thousands of war artifacts — and body of Red Army soldier — unearthed on Poland coast In Gdańsk, Poland, archaeologists unearthed over 14,000 artifacts, including a military bunker with evidence of German war crimes and the remains of a Red Army soldier. —Stories By Real-Time News Team, With Ai Summarization, Miami Herald, 7 Mar. 2025

The president doesn’t understand why Zelenskyy is not happy with Putin for invading the smaller country and beating the bejesus out of it, for decimating a generation of young Ukrainian soldiers, for breaking ceasefires and committing war crimes. —Maureen Dowd, The Mercury News, 4 Mar. 2025

Forcible population transfers are banned under international law, and, if implemented as a policy, could be a war crime, rights groups say. —Julia Frankel, TIME, 28 Feb. 2025

Selective condemnation of war crimes allows atrocities to flourish. —Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Rhymes for war crime

• airtime
• bedtime
• daytime
• downtime
• enzyme
• halftime
• lifetime
• longtime
• lunchtime
• mealtime
• meantime
• nighttime

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.