patricide
noun
pat·ri·cide
ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd 
1
[Latin patricida, from patr- + -cida -cide]
: one who murders his or her own father
2
[Late Latin patricidium, from Latin patr- + -cidium -cide]
: the murder of one's own father
Examples of patricide in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
It’s done in the saddest way, with the original sin of patricide.
—
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2024
This audacious patricide led to her election as head of the party.
—Constanze Stelzenmüller, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The patricide was covered in lurid detail in the press.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023
Within her extended Olympian family – forged in patricide and infidelity – she’s known as the trashy one.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 May 2023
Of course, the paradox doesn’t apply just to instances of grand-patricide, but to all hypothetical situations where a time traveler goes back to prevent something from occurring.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2023
After all, Kendall’s methods since his press-conference patricide at the end of Season 2 have come straight out of Logan’s playbook—and this season has delighted in the parallels.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2021
And Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) kills the planet that is his father - a private Ragnarok that's also a righteous patricide.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 10 June 2021
As recently as the early 20th century, Chinese fathers could murder sons and get off with a warning; punishments for patricide, by contrast, were strict.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2020
Ben Rosenstock, Vulture, 12 Feb. 2024
This audacious patricide led to her election as head of the party.
—Constanze Stelzenmüller, Foreign Affairs, 20 Apr. 2021
The patricide was covered in lurid detail in the press.
—Sheelah Kolhatkar, The New Yorker, 24 July 2023
Within her extended Olympian family – forged in patricide and infidelity – she’s known as the trashy one.
—Joe Otterson, Variety, 15 May 2023
Of course, the paradox doesn’t apply just to instances of grand-patricide, but to all hypothetical situations where a time traveler goes back to prevent something from occurring.
—Stephen C. George, Discover Magazine, 27 Mar. 2023
After all, Kendall’s methods since his press-conference patricide at the end of Season 2 have come straight out of Logan’s playbook—and this season has delighted in the parallels.
—Shirley Li, The Atlantic, 1 Nov. 2021
And Star-Lord (Chris Pratt) kills the planet that is his father - a private Ragnarok that's also a righteous patricide.
—Darren Franich, EW.com, 10 June 2021
As recently as the early 20th century, Chinese fathers could murder sons and get off with a warning; punishments for patricide, by contrast, were strict.
—Judith Shulevitz, The Atlantic, 6 Sep. 2020
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'patricide.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near patricide
Cite this Entry
“Patricide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patricide. Accessed 2 Jul. 2024.
Copy CitationMedical Definition
patricide
noun
pat·ri·cide
ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd
: murder of a father by his son or daughter
Legal Definition
patricide
noun
pat·ri·cide
ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd
1
: an individual who murders his or her father
2
: the murder of an individual's own father
Etymology
Latin patricida, from patr-, pater father + -cida killer
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