altruistic filicide

UK/ˌæl.tɹuˈɪs.tɪk ˈfɪ.lɪ.sʌɪd/

noun

A homicide performed "out of love" to assuage the authentic or imagined suffering of the child.

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Meanings

nounaltruistic filicide (countable and uncountable, plural altruistic filicides)

plural altruistic filicides

  1. countableuncountableA homicide performed "out of love" to assuage the authentic or imagined suffering of the child.

Origin

Coined by Phillip Resnick, who published research on filicide in 1969. He stated that there were five main motives for filicide, including "altruistic," "fatal maltreatment," "unwanted child," and "spousal revenge."

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

French filicide altruiste
  • filicide altruisteTranslations
Cite this entry
APA

altruistic filicide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 5, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/altruistic%20filicide

MLA

“altruistic filicide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/altruistic%20filicide. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “altruistic filicide,” accessed November 5, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/altruistic%20filicide.

Source: altruistic filicide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.