Meanings
parricide1
plural parricides
- Someone who kills a relative, especially a parent.
I told him the reuenging Gods, / ’Gainst Paricides did all the thunder bend […]
c. 1603–1606, William Shakespeare, “The Tragedie of King Lear”, in Mr. William Shakespeares Comedies, Histories, & Tragedies […] (First Folio), London: […] Isaac Iaggard, and Ed[ward] Blount, published 1623, →OCLC, [Act II, scene i]Synonyms: parenticide
- Someone who commits treason.
parricide2
plural parricides
- countableuncountableThe killing of a relative, especially a parent.
The new accusation brought by Urban against Manfred of murdering his sister-in-law's embassador – it may be observed that, tacitly, he acquits him of parricide, fratricide, and nepoticide – requires a little explanation.
1856, Mrs. William Busk, Mediæval Popes, Emperors, Kings, and Crusaders: Or, Germany, Italy and Palestine, from A.D. 1125 to A.D. 1268, volume IV, London: Hookham and Sons, →OCLC, page 2941 more example
The production of Schiller’s ‘Don Carlos’ was long forbidden, because Don Carlos loved his stepmother; in ‘The Robbers,’ the Father was turned into an uncle, and a stupendous effect was produced by the cry of “Unclecide,” substituted for Parricide.
1861 July 27, The Athenæum: Journal of English and Foreign Literature, Science, and the Fine Arts, number 1761, London, page 116, column 1Synonyms: parenticide
Synonyms & antonyms
nounSomeone who kills a relative, especially a parent.
nounThe killing of a relative, especially a parent.
Origin
parricide · noun
- Latinparricīda
- Middle Frenchparricide
- Englishparricide
From Middle French parricide, from Latin parricīda, of uncertain origin, perhaps from pār (“equal”).
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →parricide · noun
- Latinparricīdium
- Middle Frenchparricide
- Englishparricide
From Middle French parricide, from Latin parricīdium, of uncertain origin, perhaps from pār (“equal”).
More words from Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Bulgarian отцеубиец
- отцеубиец (otceubiec)someone who kills a relative
Catalan parricida, parricidi
- parricidasomeone who kills a relative
- parricidikilling of a relative
Finnish isänmurhaaja, äidinmurhaaja
- isänmurhaajasomeone who kills a relative
- äidinmurhaajasomeone who kills a relative
- sukulaisen surmakilling of a relative
- sukulaisen tappokilling of a relative
- sukulaisen murhakilling of a relative
French parricide, parricide
- parricidesomeone who kills a relative
- parricidekilling of a relative
German Verwandtenmörder, Verwandtenmörderin
- Verwandtenmördersomeone who kills a relative
- Verwandtenmörderinsomeone who kills a relative
- Elternmördersomeone who kills a relative
- Elternmörderinsomeone who kills a relative
- Parrizidkilling of a relative
- Verwandtenmordkilling of a relative
- Elternmordkilling of a relative
Italian parricida, parricidio
- parricidasomeone who kills a relative
- parricidiokilling of a relative
Polish zabójstwo rodziny
- zabójstwo rodzinykilling of a relative
Portuguese parricida, parricídio
- parricidasomeone who kills a relative
- parricídiokilling of a relative
Spanish parricida, parricidio
- parricidasomeone who kills a relative
- parricidiokilling of a relative
Swedish fadermördare, modermördare
- fadermördaresomeone who kills a relative
- modermördaresomeone who kills a relative
Cite this entry
parricide. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parricide
“parricide.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parricide. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “parricide,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/parricide.
Source: parricide on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.