Homicide means the killing of one human being by another human being, whether it is intentional, reckless, negligent, or even legally justified in some situations.

Basic meaning

  • In everyday language, homicide is when one person causes the death of another person.
  • In law, it is a broad umbrella term that covers all killings by another person, from accidents to planned murders.

Types of homicide

  • Criminal homicide : Unlawful killings, such as murder and many forms of manslaughter.
  • Non‑criminal homicide : Killings that the law treats as justified or excusable, such as lawful self‑defense or some killings by law enforcement in the line of duty.

Murder vs. homicide

  • Murder is a specific kind of homicide that involves intent to kill, intent to cause very serious harm, or extreme recklessness toward human life.
  • Manslaughter is also a homicide, but usually involves recklessness, negligence, or actions in the “heat of passion” rather than long‑term planning.

Etymology and usage

  • The word comes from Latin roots where homo means “person” and -cide means “killing,” so it literally means “killing a person.”
  • Dictionaries define homicide simply as “the killing of one human being by another,” and the word is often used in police and news reports for death investigations.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.