patricide

noun

pat·​ri·​cide ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd How to pronounce patricide (audio)
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
patricidal adjective

Examples of patricide in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
These examples are automatically compiled from online sources to illustrate current usage. Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
The movie includes intense domestic abuse (verbal, physical and emotional), gun violence, death and descriptions of patricide. Common Sense Media, Washington Post, 19 July 2024 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

Word History

First Known Use

1576, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of patricide was in 1576

Dictionary Entries Near patricide

Cite this Entry

“Patricide.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/patricide. Accessed 5 Nov. 2024.

Medical Definition

patricide

noun
pat·​ri·​cide ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd How to pronounce patricide (audio)
: murder of a father by his son or daughter

Legal Definition

patricide

noun
pat·​ri·​cide ˈpa-trə-ˌsīd How to pronounce patricide (audio)
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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