noun · 2 senses · updated from the 2026-07-25 local source snapshot
Definitions and examples are grouped by meaning. Pronunciation, history, word forms, translations, descendants, synonyms, antonyms, derived terms, and related words appear whenever the source provides them.
Sound
Pronunciation
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General-American:/ˈfɛ.məˌsaɪd/
Received-Pronunciation:/ˈfɛ.mɪˌsaɪd/
US:Recorded audio is listed in the source snapshot.
rhymes with -ɛməsaɪd
rhymes with -ɛmɪsaɪd
1
noun
Meaning 1
The killing of a woman or girl, originally (figurative) with reference to loss of virtue but now usually (law) specifically because of their sex or gender and especially such a killing by a man motivated by misogyny.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
2
noun
Meaning 2
A person who commits such an act.
Definition source: English Wiktionary via Wiktextract
Usage: countable, rare, uncountable
No example sentence was provided for this meaning.
Meaning relationships
Synonyms: none provided
Antonyms: none provided
History
Etymology
From fem- + -icide, ultimately derived from Latin fēmina (“woman”), after the model of homicide, genocide, etc.
Across languages
Translations
34 source translations are retained for this English entry.
Catalan:
feminicidi
— killing of women
Catalan:
femicidi
— killing of women
Danish:
femicide
— killing of women
Dutch:
vrouwenmoord
— killing of women
Dutch:
feminicide
— killing of women
Dutch:
gynocide
— killing of women
Dutch:
femicide
— killing of women
Finnish:
naismurha
— killing of women
French:
féminicide
— killing of women
French:
fémicide
— killing of women
French:
gynocide
— killing of women
Galician:
feminicidio
— killing of women
Galician:
femicidio
— killing of women
Georgian:
ფემიციდი
(pemicidi)
— killing of women
German:
Femizid
— killing of women
German:
Frauenmord
— killing of women
Greek:
γυναικοκτονία
(gynaikoktonía)
— killing of women
Italian:
femminicidio
— killing of women
Italian:
femmicidio
— killing of women
Japanese:
フェミサイド
(femisaido)
— killing of women
Japanese:
フェミニサイド
(feminisaido)
— killing of women
Korean:
여성살해
(yeoseongsalhae)
— killing of women
Korean:
녀성살해
(nyeoseongsalhae)
— killing of women
Northern Kurdish:
jinkujî
— killing of women
Polish:
kobietobójstwo
— killing of women
Portuguese:
feminicídio
— killing of women
Portuguese:
femicídio
— killing of women
Romanian:
femicid
— killing of women
Romanian:
feminicid
— killing of women
Russian:
фемици́д
(femicíd)
— killing of women
Russian:
феминици́д
(feminicíd)
— killing of women