Meanings
noundesk murderer (plural desk murderers)
plural desk murderers
- A bureaucrat, etc. who indirectly assists in genocide or other killing by performing clerical tasks.
Synonyms: desk killer
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA bureaucrat, etc. who indirectly assists in genocide or other killing by performing clerical tasks.
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Also see
Origin
Used by Gideon Hausner to describe Adolf Eichmann, but often attributed to Hannah Arendt.
Full word history & related roots →Cite this entry
APA
desk murderer. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 4, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desk%20murderer
MLA
“desk murderer.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desk%20murderer. Accessed November 4, 2026.
Chicago
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “desk murderer,” accessed November 4, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/desk%20murderer.
Source: desk murderer on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.