French word

meurtre

Pronunciation

IPA/mœʁtʁ/

Meaning

  • masculine nounmurder

Example

On a condamné l'auteur du meurtre.

The perpetrator of the murder was convicted.

Illustration for meurtre (murder)

More examples

On évoque un soupçon de meurtre après la découverte d'indices.

A suspicion of murder is raised after evidence is discovered.

Core concept

A crime centered on one person's intentional killing and the legal consequences that follow.

Common phrases

  • soupçon de meurtre

    suspicion of murder

  • scène du meurtre

    murder scene

Similar words

homicide: Any act that results in the death of a person.
assassinat: The premeditated killing of a particular person.

Definition in French

On appelle meurtre la mise à mort volontaire d'une personne, qualifiée de crime.

Word origin

The word developed from Old French forms such as murtre and ultimately from a Germanic source also related to English murder.

Usage tips

  • In legal usage, meurtre describes intentional killing, while assassinat adds premeditation and homicide is the broader term for killing a person.

Opposites

Related words

Word lists with this word