Definition

Noun: 1. The systematic and deliberate killing of a racial, ethnic, or cultural group: This term refers to the intentional, organized destruction of a specific human group based on its racial, ethnic, or cultural identity. It is a grave crime against humanity.

Usage Notes

• The term "race murder" is a direct, literal compound that explicitly names the act. It is a highly specific and severe term.
• It is used in historical, legal, and sociological contexts to describe acts of mass violence and extermination targeting groups defined by their perceived racial or cultural characteristics.
• Due to its gravity, it is typically used in formal, academic, or journalistic discussions of extreme atrocities.

Examples of Usage

• Noun:
  • The international tribunal was established to prosecute those responsible for the race murder.
  • Historians study the mechanisms that enable a society to descend into race murder.
  • The documentary provided evidence of the planned race murder.

Advanced Usage

• "to commit race murder": to carry out the act of systematic killing.
  • The regime was accused of seeking to commit race murder against the minority population.
• "victims of race murder": those killed in such a systematic campaign.
  • We remember the millions of victims of race murder.

Variants and Related Words

• Genocide (n): This is the more common and legally precise international term for the same concept. "Race murder" is a synonym, but "genocide" is the standard term in international law (e.g., the UN Genocide Convention).
• Ethnic cleansing (n): A related term often referring to the forced removal of a group from a territory, which can include or lead to systematic killing.
• Massacre (n): The indiscriminate killing of many people, which may be a component of race murder but does not necessarily imply the systematic intent to destroy a group.

Synonyms

• Genocide
• Extermination
• Annihilation (in this specific context)

Related Phrases

• Crime against humanity: A broader category of severe international crimes that includes race murder/genocide.
• Systematic persecution: Organized oppression that may precede or accompany race murder.

Important Note

The term "race murder" is a direct and stark description of a horrific act. Its synonym "genocide" is the more frequently used technical and legal term in modern English for this specific crime.

Noun

1. systematic killing of a racial or cultural group