Massacre vs Extermination - What's the difference?
massacre | extermination |
The intentional killing of a considerable number of human beings, under circumstances of atrocity or cruelty, or contrary to the norms of civilized people.
(obsolete) Murder.
* 1593 , , The Tragedy of Richard the Third
(figuratively) An overwhelming defeat.
To kill in considerable numbers where much resistance can not be made; to kill with indiscriminate violence, without necessity, and contrary to the norms of civilized people; to butcher; to slaughter.
* 1849 , , The History Of England From the Accession of James II
(figuratively)
The act of exterminating; total destruction; eradication; excision; as, the extermination of inhabitants or tribes, of error or vice, or of weeds from a field.
Elimination.
As a verb massacre
is .As a noun extermination is
the act of exterminating; total destruction; eradication; excision; as, the extermination of inhabitants or tribes, of error or vice, or of weeds from a field.massacre
English
Alternative forms
* massacer (archaic)Noun
(en noun)- the massacre on St. Bartholomew's Day
- St. Valentine's Day''' '''massacre
- Amritsar''' '''massacre
- The tyrannous and bloody act is done,—
- The most arch deed of piteous massacre
- That ever yet this land was guilty of.
Synonyms
* butchery, carnage, slaughter. *: Massacre denotes the promiscuous slaughter of many who can not make resistance, or much resistance. *:* 1592 , , Titus Andronicus, I,v *:*: I'll find a day to massacre them all, And raze their faction and their family *: Butchery refers to cold-blooded cruelty in the killing of men as if they were brute beasts. *:* 1593 , , Richard III, I,ii *:*: If thou delight to view thy heinous deeds, Behold this pattern of thy butcheries *: Carnage points to slaughter as producing the heaped-up bodies of the slain. *:* 1674 , , Paradise Lost *:*: Such a scent I draw Of carnage , prey innumerable!Verb
(massacr)- If James should be pleased to massacre' them all, as Maximilian had ' massacred the Theban legion