homicide
C1Legal, formal, journalistic.
Definition
Meaning
The act of one human being killing another.
Legally, the killing of a person by another. Can be criminal (murder, manslaughter) or justified (e.g., by police, self-defense).
Linguistics
Semantic Notes
The core act, regardless of culpability. Often used interchangeably with 'murder' in general speech, but 'murder' specifically implies malicious intent and illegality, whereas 'homicide' is a broader, more technical term.
Dialectal Variation
British vs American Usage
Differences
More common in American legal and news media. In the UK, 'murder' or 'manslaughter' are more frequent in general discourse, though 'homicide' is the formal legal category.
Connotations
In US media, often used in phrases like 'homicide detective' or 'homicide unit'. In UK, may sound more formal or American-influenced when used outside strict legal contexts.
Frequency
Higher frequency in American English.
Vocabulary
Collocations
Grammar
Valency Patterns
He was charged with homicide.The police are investigating the homicide.The act constitutes homicide.Vocabulary
Synonyms
Strong
Neutral
Weak
Vocabulary
Antonyms
Phrases
Idioms & Phrases
- “[No common idioms with 'homicide' as the key word]”
Usage
Context Usage
Business
Rarely used, except in security or insurance contexts (e.g., 'workplace homicide').
Academic
Used in criminology, law, sociology, and medical journals (e.g., 'studies on urban homicide').
Everyday
Used primarily in news reports or crime dramas, not casual conversation.
Technical
The precise legal term for the killing of a human by another, subdivided into categories like murder, manslaughter, justifiable homicide.
Examples
By Part of Speech
verb
British English
- [Rarely verbed. Use 'commit homicide' or 'kill'.]
American English
- [Rarely verbed. Use 'commit homicide' or 'kill'.]
adverb
British English
- [No standard adverbial form.]
American English
- [No standard adverbial form.]
adjective
British English
- The homicide investigation lasted months.
- Homicide rates were falling.
American English
- She works in the homicide division.
- The DA filed homicide charges.
Examples
By CEFR Level
- The news reported a homicide in the city centre.
- He was a victim of homicide.
- The detective specialised in solving complex homicide cases.
- The lawyer argued the act was justifiable homicide.
- Criminologists analysed the socio-economic factors correlated with the rising homicide rate.
- The coroner's report confirmed the manner of death as homicide.
Learning
Memory Aids
Mnemonic
Think of 'HOMI' (sounds like 'home') and 'CIDE' (like in 'suicide' or 'pesticide' – meaning to kill). A killing that happens in one's 'home' or community, by another human.
Conceptual Metaphor
HOMICIDE IS A TRANSACTION (e.g., 'pay the ultimate price'), HOMICIDE IS A STAIN (e.g., 'a stain on the community').
Watch out
Common Pitfalls
Translation Traps (for Russian speakers)
- Avoid direct translation as 'убийство человека' in contexts where 'murder' (преднамеренное убийство) is more precise. 'Homicide' is the overarching category.
Common Mistakes
- Using 'homicide' to mean only illegal murder. Confusing 'homicide' with 'suicide' (self-killing).
Practice
Quiz
Which of the following is NOT necessarily a synonym for 'homicide'?
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
No. Homicide is the broad term for one human killing another. Murder is a type of criminal homicide involving malice aforethought. All murders are homicides, but not all homicides are murders (e.g., manslaughter, justifiable homicide).
Yes. Legally, homicide includes unlawful killings without intent to kill, such as involuntary manslaughter (e.g., a fatal car accident caused by reckless driving).
No, it is not standard. The usual constructions are 'commit homicide', 'be charged with homicide', or simply 'kill' or 'murder'.
Homicide is the umbrella term. Manslaughter is a category of criminal homicide that lacks the element of 'malice aforethought' found in murder. It is often divided into voluntary (heat of passion) and involuntary (criminal negligence).
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