battered person syndrome

noun

A legal defense according to which a murderer had no choice but to kill their violent partner in response to cumulative abuse rather than a single provocation.

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Meanings

nounbattered person syndrome (uncountable)
  1. uncountablelawA legal defense according to which a murderer had no choice but to kill their violent partner in response to cumulative abuse rather than a single provocation.

Origin

A more recent, gender-neutral formulation based on battered woman syndrome.

Full word history & related roots →
Cite this entry
APA

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

MLA

“battered person syndrome.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/battered%20person%20syndrome. Accessed November 5, 2026.

Chicago

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

Source: battered person syndrome on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.