war crime

noun

Usually war crimes. crimes committed against an enemy, prisoners of war, or subjects in wartime that violate international agreements or, as in the case of genocide, are offenses against humanity.

war crime

noun

a crime committed in wartime in violation of the accepted rules and customs of war, such as genocide, ill-treatment of prisoners of war, etc

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Derived Forms

war criminal, noun

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Other Word Forms

war criminal noun

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Word History and Origins

Origin of war crime¹

First recorded in 1940–45

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Example Sentences

Examples have not been reviewed.

"The risk of being dragged into war crimes and suffering a fatal blow to the Israel Defense Forces and our social ethos," he wrote, "make it impossible to stand idly by".

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An international campaign currently underway calls for an amendment to the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court to add ecocide as a fifth prosecutable crime alongside genocide, crimes against humanity, war crimes and aggression.

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"Any use of starvation of the civilian population as a method of war constitutes a war crime, and so do all forms of collective punishment," Volker Türk warned.

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Putin, who has been charged by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, did not travel to Rome for the Pope's funeral.

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Two years into the war, both the army and RSF have been accused of war crimes, including genocide and mass sexual violence.

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war correspondent war crimes

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