internecine
/,intə'ni:sain/ Cách viết khác : (internecive) /,intə'ni:siv/
Học thuậtThân thiện
Definition
- Adjective:
- Mutually destructive; causing great slaughter on both sides: Describes a conflict so fierce that it results in massive bloodshed and devastation for all parties involved.
- Of or relating to conflict within a group: Describes a struggle, dispute, or warfare that occurs between members of the same organization, nation, or family.
Usage
- The primary use of internecine is as an adjective to modify nouns like , , , , or .
- It emphasizes the internal and mutually harmful nature of the conflict.
Examples
Mutually destructive conflict:
- The historian described the battle as an internecine slaughter that left no real victor.
- The two kingdoms fought an internecine war that devastated the entire region for generations.
Conflict within a group:
- The company was weakened by internecine squabbles among its senior executives.
- The political party was torn apart by internecine rivalries.
Advanced Usage
"Internecine warfare": A common collocation emphasizing a war that is both internal and extremely destructive.
- The empire collapsed not from external invasion, but from decades of internecine warfare.
"Internecine struggle": Often used in political, corporate, or academic contexts to describe a destructive internal power struggle.
- The movement's goals were forgotten in the bitter internecine struggle for leadership.
Variants and Related Words
- Internecive (adj): An archaic or less common variant with the same meaning as .
Synonyms
- Fratricidal: Involving conflict between brothers or members of a group (often implies literal or figurative brother-killing).
- Destructive: Causing great damage or harm.
- Internal: Existing or occurring within a group.
Antonyms
- Unifying: Tending to bring a group together.
- External: Coming from the outside.
- Constructive: Serving a useful purpose; causing improvement.
Notes on Meaning
- The modern, most frequent meaning of internecine focuses on conflict a single entity (e.g., a family, organization, or country). The older sense of "mutually destructive" is still valid and often overlaps, as internal conflicts are frequently devastating for all factions. The word inherently carries a connotation of wastefulness and tragedy.
Adjective
- characterized by bloodshed and carnage for both sides
- internecine war
- (of conflict) within a group or organization
- an internecine feud among proxy holders