infanticide meaning: definition, etymology and quotations

infanticide

noun

UK, US /ɪnˈfæntɪsaɪd/

Etymology From French infanticide, from Latin īnfanticīdium. By surface analysis, infant + -i- + -cide.

The murder of an infant.

PROLICIDE […] Admits of two divisions, fœticide or criminal abortion and infanticide or the destruction of the new born infant.1827, Robley Dunglison, Syllabus of the Lectures on Medical Jurisprudence, page 93:
A recent government survey shows that 65 per cent of the families in Japan today are nuclear families, and a report on infanticide published this year by the Criminal Sience Club of Chuo University here indicates that eight out of ten infanticides today occur in nuclear families.1973 August 12, “Infanticide in Japan: Sign of the Times?”, in The New York Times:

The murder of a child by a parent; filicide.

Law Canada The criminal offence of killing of a newborn, committed by its mother while psychologically disturbed by the effects of childbirth or lactation, not regarded as murder.

Biology, Natural sciences, Zoology The killing of a young, immature animal by a mature adult of the same species.

Derived terms: autoinfanticide, infanticidal, infanticider

infanticide

noun

Etymology From French infanticide, from Latin īnfanticīda. By surface analysis, infant + -i- + -cide.

The murderer of a child: a person who has committed infanticide.

Related terms: filicide, genocide, homicide, matricide, neonaticide, patricide, prolicide, regicide, suicide, uxoricide