fratricidal
Definition
- Adjective:
- Relating to the killing of one's brother or sister: "fratricidal" describes actions, conflicts, or situations involving the killing of a sibling.
- Relating to internal conflict within a group: By extension, it refers to destructive conflict among members of the same family, organization, or nation.
Usage Examples
- (A conflict where siblings kill each other.)
- (Destructive conflict within the same organization.)
- (Violence among family members.)
Advanced Usage
"fratricidal war": a war in which members of the same family or nation fight and kill each other.
- The country descended into a fratricidal war that lasted for decades. (A civil war among compatriots.)
"fratricidal conflict": any conflict that results in harm among people who are supposed to be allies or kin.
- The political party experienced a fratricidal conflict over leadership. (Internal strife.)
Variants and Related Words
Fratricide (noun): the act of killing one's brother or sister; also, a person who commits such an act.
- Cain committed the first fratricide in biblical history. (Killing of a brother.)
Fratricidally (adverb): in a manner involving the killing of a sibling or internal destruction.
- The two factions fought fratricidally for control of the territory. (In a destructive, internecine way.)
Synonyms
Internecine: destructive to both sides in a conflict; often used for internal group conflict.
- The internecine feud within the tribe was fratricidal in nature. (Mutually destructive.)
Intrafamilial: occurring within a family.
- The fratricidal rivalry was an intrafamilial tragedy. (Within the family.)
Related Idioms
"Brother against brother": a situation where siblings or close allies fight each other.
- The dispute turned brother against brother in a fratricidal conflict. (Siblings opposing each other.)
"Killing one's own kind": an act of destroying members of the same group.
- The soldiers felt guilty about the fratricidal order to kill their own countrymen. (Harming one's own people.)