Genocides

/ˈdʒɛnəsaɪdz/ noun

Definition

Plural of genocide; instances of systematic destruction and killing of entire ethnic, racial, national, or religious groups.

Etymology

Plural form of 'genocide,' combining Greek 'genos' (people, race) and Latin 'cide' (killing). The term was created in 1944 and has unfortunately become necessary to name repeated atrocities throughout history.

Kelly Says

Unfortunately, historians have had to use this word many times—from the Armenian Genocide to Rwanda to the Holocaust—which is why Raphael Lemkin felt he needed to invent a single powerful word rather than constantly explaining mass atrocities.

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