German word

Kriegsverbrechen

Pronunciation

IPA/ˈkʁiːksfɛɐ̯ˌbʁɛçn̩/

Meaning

  • neuter nounwar crime

Example

Die Kriegsverbrechen wurden vor Gericht verhandelt.

The war crimes were tried in court.

Illustration for Kriegsverbrechen (war crime)

More examples

Die Zeitung berichtete über Kriegsverbrechen.

The newspaper reported on war crimes.

Core concept

A courtroom file linking an armed conflict to a grave offense against people or objects under protection.

Common phrases

  • Berichte über Kriegsverbrechen

    reports on war crimes

  • Leugnung von Kriegsverbrechen

    denial of war crimes

  • Sanktionen wegen Kriegsverbrechen

    sanctions for war crimes

Similar words

Verbrechen gegen die Menschlichkeit: A widespread or systematic attack on civilians involving murder, persecution, or other grave crimes.
Völkermord: Acts aimed at destroying part or all of a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group.
Menschenrechtsverletzung: An act that infringes a person's basic rights, such as free speech or physical liberty.
Kriegsvergehen: A wartime breach of the rules governing armed conflict or humanitarian treatment.

Definition in German

Als Kriegsverbrechen gelten nach Völkerrecht Handlungen in einem bewaffneten Konflikt, die ernsthafte Verletzungen gegen geschützte Personen oder Objekte darstellen.

Word origin

Kriegsverbrechen is a German compound formed from Krieg and Verbrechen, a transparent structure that parallels the English compound war crime.

Usage tips

  • The word is mainly legal and formal, so ordinary wartime wrongdoing is not automatically called a Kriegsverbrechen in careful German usage.

Opposites

  • legale Kriegsführunglegal warfarenoun

Related words

  • Kriegsverbrecherinfemale war criminalnoun
  • kriegsverbrecherischwar-criminaladjective

Word lists with this word