Manslaughter: meaning, definitions and examples

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manslaughter

 

[ ˈmanˌslôtər ]

Noun
Context #1 | Noun

criminal law

The crime of killing a human being without malice aforethought, or otherwise in circumstances not amounting to murder.

Synonyms

culpable homicide, unpremeditated killing

Examples of usage

  • His charge was reduced from murder to manslaughter due to lack of evidence for premeditation.
  • She was convicted of manslaughter after hitting a pedestrian while driving under the influence.
Context #2 | Noun

general

The act of killing someone without intending to do so.

Synonyms

accidental killing, unintentional homicide

Examples of usage

  • The court determined that the death was accidental and ruled it as manslaughter.
  • He was charged with manslaughter for causing the death of the victim in a car accident.

Translations

Translations of the word "manslaughter" in other languages:

🇵🇹 homicídio culposo

🇮🇳 गैर-इरादतन हत्या

🇩🇪 Totschlag

🇮🇩 pembunuhan tidak disengaja

🇺🇦 ненавмисне вбивство

🇵🇱 nieumyślne spowodowanie śmierci

🇯🇵 過失致死

🇫🇷 homicide involontaire

🇪🇸 homicidio involuntario

🇹🇷 taksirle adam öldürme

🇰🇷 과실치사

🇸🇦 القتل غير العمد

🇨🇿 usmrcení z nedbalosti

🇸🇰 usmrtenie z nedbanlivosti

🇨🇳 过失杀人

🇸🇮 nenamerni uboj

🇮🇸 manndráp af gáleysi

🇰🇿 абайсызда кісі өлтіру

🇬🇪 გაუფრთხილებლობით მკვლელობა

🇦🇿 ehtiyatsızlıqdan adam öldürmə

🇲🇽 homicidio involuntario

Etymology

The term 'manslaughter' originated from the combination of 'man' and 'slaughter', with 'man' referring to a human being and 'slaughter' meaning the killing of animals for food. In legal contexts, manslaughter has been recognized as a distinct crime since ancient times, evolving to differentiate it from murder based on the presence or absence of malice aforethought. The concept of manslaughter has been refined over centuries to address various circumstances of unintentional killing within the framework of criminal law.

See also: slaughter, slaughterhouse.

Word Frequency Rank

At position #13,762, this word is part of sophisticated English vocabulary. It's useful for academic or professional contexts where precise language is needed.