infanticide
1 synonym for infanticide, grouped by meaning and by how common each one is.
Noun — The killing of a baby or very young child, especially by a parent.
Synonyms
Rare, literary or technical
Precise, but they will stand out — check the sense before using one.
filicide
How to use infanticide
The word patterns that sound natural to a native speaker.
commit infanticide
cases of infanticide
charged with infanticide
This is a formal, often legal or academic word rather than everyday language.
Etymology
Infanticide comes from French infanticide, which goes back to a Latin word for the killing of an infant. It is built from infant plus a linking element and the ending -cide, meaning killing.
Full origin of infanticide →Frequently asked questions
What does infanticide mean?
It means the killing of a baby or very young child, most often used when the killer is a parent.
Is infanticide treated differently from murder in law?
In some places, such as Canada, infanticide is a distinct, lesser offence when a mother kills her newborn while psychologically disturbed by childbirth or lactation.
Does infanticide only apply to humans?
No. In zoology, the term is also used when an adult animal kills a young member of its own species.
