murder en 30 secondes
- Murder is the intentional and illegal killing of a human being by another.
- It is a major crime in all legal systems, usually carrying the harshest penalties.
- The word is used as both a noun for the crime and a verb for the act.
- It is distinct from manslaughter, which lacks the specific intent to kill.
The word murder refers to the most serious form of illegal killing. In legal and social terms, it is the intentional taking of a human life without legal justification. Unlike 'killing', which can be accidental or legal (like in self-defense), murder specifically implies a planned or purposeful act of violence. It is a concept found in every legal system across the globe, representing the ultimate violation of human rights and social order.
- Legal Definition
- The unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.
- Social Impact
- A crime that causes profound grief and disrupts the safety of a community.
- Intent
- The mental state of 'malice aforethought' where the perpetrator intends to cause death.
"The police arrived quickly to the scene of the murder to look for clues."
Understanding this word requires distinguishing it from 'manslaughter'. While both involve death, murder requires a specific intent to kill or cause grievous harm. In literature and media, the word is often used to drive tension, forming the basis of the 'murder mystery' genre, where a detective must solve the crime. The gravity of the word is so high that it is rarely used lightly in formal conversation, though it does appear in metaphorical idioms.
"He was charged with murder after the evidence was found."
- First-degree
- Planned and intentional killing.
- Second-degree
- Intentional but not planned in advance.
"The news report focused on the high murder rate in the city."
Using the noun murder correctly involves understanding its grammatical placement and the verbs it typically pairs with. It is most commonly the object of verbs like 'commit', 'investigate', or 'solve'. Because it is a count noun, you can speak of 'a murder' or 'multiple murders'. However, when referring to the crime in a general legal sense, it is often used as an uncountable noun, such as in the phrase 'guilty of murder'.
"The detective spent years trying to solve the murder of the local businessman."
In academic or legal writing, the word is used with high precision. You will see it modified by adjectives that specify the type or severity. For example, 'premeditated murder' highlights the planning involved. In casual speech, people might use it hyperbolically (e.g., 'This workout is murder!'), but learners should be careful as this can sound insensitive depending on the context.
- Common Verb Pairings
- Commit murder, witness a murder, report a murder, deny a murder.
- Adjective Modifiers
- Brutal murder, cold-blooded murder, unsolved murder, attempted murder.
"There was no evidence of murder at the scene, so they ruled it an accident."
The word murder is ubiquitous in specific media environments. You will encounter it most frequently in news broadcasts, true crime podcasts, and fictional police procedurals. In the news, it is used formally: 'The suspect is being held on suspicion of murder.' In entertainment, it is the core of the 'Whodunnit' subgenre, where the entire plot revolves around discovering who committed the act.
"Breaking news: Police are investigating a double murder in the downtown area."
In a legal setting, such as a courtroom or a law-themed TV show, you will hear phrases like 'murder in the first degree' or 'felony murder'. These terms distinguish between different levels of culpability. You might also hear it in historical contexts, such as the 'murder of Archduke Franz Ferdinand', which is cited as a catalyst for World War I. The word carries a heavy emotional weight, often accompanied by a somber tone of voice.
- News Media
- Used to report on violent crimes and court proceedings.
- Fiction/Movies
- Central theme in thrillers, mysteries, and horror films.
- History Books
- Used to describe political assassinations and mass killings.
"I love reading murder mysteries before I go to sleep."
One of the most frequent errors learners make is using murder when they actually mean 'killing' or 'manslaughter'. While all murders are killings, not all killings are murders. For instance, if a soldier kills an enemy in a war, it is usually not called 'murder' in a legal sense. Similarly, if someone accidentally causes a death through negligence, it is 'manslaughter'. Using 'murder' in these cases can be legally and factually incorrect.
Another mistake is confusing the noun and the verb. While they look the same, their sentence structures differ. 'He committed murder' (noun) vs. 'He murdered someone' (verb). Additionally, learners sometimes use the word 'assassination' interchangeably with murder. An assassination is a specific type of murder, usually of a high-profile political figure for political reasons.
- Murder vs. Homicide
- Homicide is the broad term for any killing; murder is specifically the illegal, intentional kind.
- Murder vs. Execution
- An execution is a state-sanctioned killing, not a murder.
"The headline was wrong to call it murder before the trial even began."
To expand your vocabulary, it is helpful to look at words related to murder. 'Homicide' is the most common synonym used in medical and legal reports. It is a more neutral, technical term. 'Slaughter' often refers to the killing of animals but can be used for the brutal killing of many people. 'Assassination' is the targeted murder of a prominent person, often for political gain.
"The assassination of the president shocked the entire nation."
Other words include 'slaying', which is a more dramatic or journalistic term often seen in newspaper headlines. 'Massacre' refers to the indiscriminate murder of a large number of people. On the lighter side, 'manslaughter' is the legal term for killing someone without the specific intent to do so, often through recklessness.
- Homicide
- The killing of one person by another (broadest term).
- Slaying
- A violent killing (often used in news or fantasy).
- Carnage
- The result of a great deal of killing or murder.
"The detective looked for a motive for the homicide."
How Formal Is It?
Niveau de difficulté
Grammaire à connaître
Passive voice for crimes
Prepositional phrases with 'of' and 'for'
Attributive nouns
Countable vs. Uncountable usage
Gerunds as subjects
Exemples par niveau
The police are looking at a murder.
La police examine un meurtre.
Noun as the object of the preposition 'at'.
Murder is a very bad crime.
Le meurtre est un crime très grave.
Noun as the subject of the sentence.
He went to prison for murder.
Il est allé en prison pour meurtre.
Noun following the preposition 'for'.
Is there a murder in this book?
Y a-t-il un meurtre dans ce livre ?
Countable noun with the article 'a'.
The news is about a murder.
Les nouvelles concernent un meurtre.
Noun as the object of 'about'.
I don't like stories about murder.
Je n'aime pas les histoires de meurtre.
Noun used in a prepositional phrase.
They found a murder weapon.
Ils ont trouvé une arme du crime.
Noun used as an attributive noun (modifier).
The murder happened at night.
Le meurtre a eu lieu la nuit.
Noun as the subject of the verb 'happened'.
The detective solved the murder.
Le détective a résolu le meurtre.
Common verb-noun collocation 'solve the murder'.
She is writing a murder mystery.
Elle écrit un mystère de meurtre.
Compound noun 'murder mystery'.
He was charged with murder.
Il a été accusé de meurtre.
Passive voice construction.
There were two murders in the city.
Il y a eu deux meurtres dans la ville.
Plural form 'murders'.
The movie is about a famous murder.
Le film porte sur un meurtre célèbre.
Modified by the adjective 'famous'.
Police believe it was a murder.
La police pense que c'était un meurtre.
Noun as a subject complement.
He did not commit the murder.
Il n'a pas commis le meurtre.
Negative sentence with 'commit'.
The murder trial starts today.
Le procès pour meurtre commence aujourd'hui.
Noun acting as an adjective for 'trial'.
The suspect denied any involvement in the murder.
Le suspect a nié toute implication dans le meurtre.
Noun in a complex prepositional phrase.
The murder rate has decreased this year.
Le taux de meurtres a diminué cette année.
Compound noun 'murder rate'.
He was convicted of attempted murder.
Il a été reconnu coupable de tentative de meurtre.
Modified by 'attempted'.
The murder was committed in cold blood.
Le meurtre a été commis de sang-froid.
Idiomatic phrase 'in cold blood'.
They are investigating a series of murders.
Ils enquêtent sur une série de meurtres.
Plural noun in a partitive structure.
The motive for the murder remains unknown.
Le mobile du meurtre reste inconnu.
Subject of the verb 'remains'.
The witness provided details about the murder.
Le témoin a fourni des détails sur le meurtre.
Object of the preposition 'about'.
It was a brutal murder that shocked the town.
C'était un meurtre brutal qui a choqué la ville.
Modified by 'brutal' and a relative clause.
The jury found him guilty of first-degree murder.
Le jury l'a déclaré coupable de meurtre au premier degré.
Specific legal terminology.
The evidence of premeditated murder was overwhelming.
Les preuves de meurtre avec préméditation étaient accablantes.
Complex noun phrase.
She specializes in solving cold case murders.
Elle se spécialise dans la résolution de meurtres non résolus.
Compound modifier 'cold case'.
The murder sparked a national debate on safety.
Le meurtre a déclenché un débat national sur la sécurité.
Metaphorical verb 'sparked'.
He was exonerated after serving twenty years for a murder he didn't commit.
Il a été disculpé après avoir purgé vingt ans pour un meurtre qu'il n'avait pas commis.
Relative clause with 'didn't commit'.
The police ruled out murder after the autopsy.
La police a exclu le meurtre après l'autopsie.
Phrasal verb 'ruled out'.
The documentary explores the psychology of murder.
Le documentaire explore la psychologie du meurtre.
Abstract noun usage.
There is no statute of limitations on murder.
Il n'y a pas de prescription pour le meurtre.
Legal idiom.
The callousness of the murder left the community reeling.
La cruauté du meurtre a laissé la communauté sous le choc.
Abstract noun 'callousness' modifying the context.
The defense argued that the killing did not constitute murder.
La défense a soutenu que l'homicide ne constituait pas un meurtre.
Legal verb 'constitute'.
The murder was a calculated move to seize power.
Le meurtre était une action calculée pour s'emparer du pouvoir.
Adjective 'calculated' adding nuance.
Historians debate whether the death was a murder or a suicide.
Les historiens débattent pour savoir si le décès était un meurtre ou un suicide.
Contrastive noun usage.
The perpetrator showed no remorse for the heinous murder.
L'auteur n'a montré aucun remords pour ce meurtre odieux.
Adjective 'heinous' for intensity.
The murder investigation was hampered by a lack of witnesses.
L'enquête pour meurtre a été entravée par le manque de témoins.
Passive voice with 'hampered'.
The novel is a profound meditation on the nature of murder.
Le roman est une méditation profonde sur la nature du meurtre.
Literary context.
He was accused of inciting murder through his speeches.
Il a été accusé d'incitation au meurtre à travers ses discours.
Gerund 'inciting' followed by the noun.
The sheer audacity of the murder in broad daylight was staggering.
L'audace pure du meurtre en plein jour était stupéfiante.
Complex subject phrase.
The case remains the most infamous unsolved murder in the country's annals.
L'affaire reste le meurtre non résolu le plus infâme dans les annales du pays.
Superlative and attributive adjectives.
The legal distinction between murder and justifiable homicide is often razor-thin.
La distinction juridique entre le meurtre et l'homicide justifiable est souvent infime.
Technical legal comparison.
The play explores the existential dread following a murder.
La pièce explore l'effroi existentiel qui suit un meurtre.
High-level vocabulary 'existential dread'.
The murder of the dissident was seen as a state-sponsored act.
Le meurtre du dissident a été considéré comme un acte commandité par l'État.
Political context.
A murder of crows gathered on the fence, an eerie omen.
Un groupe de corbeaux s'est rassemblé sur la clôture, un présage inquiétant.
Collective noun usage.
The perpetrator's psyche was a labyrinth of justifications for the murder.
La psyché de l'auteur était un labyrinthe de justifications pour le meurtre.
Metaphorical construction.
The treaty aimed to prevent the mass murder of civilians during wartime.
Le traité visait à prévenir le meurtre de masse de civils en temps de guerre.
Compound noun in international law context.
Collocations courantes
Phrases Courantes
Souvent confondu avec
Expressions idiomatiques
Facile à confondre
Structures de phrases
Comment l'utiliser
Requires 'malice aforethought'.
Used to describe something very difficult (informal).
- Using 'murder' for a car accident.
- Confusing 'murder' with 'murderer'.
- Spelling it as 'muder'.
- Using it for the death of a pet.
- Saying 'he made a murder' instead of 'committed'.
Astuces
Learn Collocations
Always learn 'commit murder' as a single unit to sound more natural.
Noun vs Verb
Remember 'a murder' is the event, 'to murder' is the action.
Watch Crime Shows
Shows like 'CSI' or 'Sherlock' are great for hearing this word in context.
Be Precise
In formal writing, use 'homicide' unless intent is proven.
Tone Matters
This is a heavy word; use a serious tone when discussing it.
News Context
Look for the word in headlines to see how it is used to grab attention.
Visual Association
Imagine a detective's magnifying glass over the word.
Podcast Context
True crime podcasts often repeat this word frequently.
Sensitivity
Avoid joking about murder in professional or sensitive environments.
Degrees
Understand that 'first-degree' is the most serious level.
Mémorise-le
Origine du mot
Old English 'morthor'
Contexte culturel
Degrees of murder vary significantly by jurisdiction.
Agatha Christie is the queen of the murder mystery.
A 'murder of crows' is a famous English idiom.
Pratique dans la vie réelle
Contextes réels
Amorces de conversation
"Do you like reading murder mysteries?"
"What is the most famous murder case in your country?"
"Why do you think true crime podcasts are so popular?"
"Have you ever played a murder mystery game?"
"What is the legal difference between murder and manslaughter in your region?"
Sujets d'écriture
Write a short plot for a murder mystery set in a library.
How does the media's portrayal of murder affect our sense of safety?
Discuss the ethics of 'True Crime' entertainment.
Imagine you are a detective; describe the scene of a murder you just found.
Why is murder considered the most serious crime?
Questions fréquentes
10 questionsMurder is intentional and planned, while manslaughter is usually accidental or done without prior intent.
Yes, by definition, murder is the illegal killing of a person.
Technically no, the word 'slaughter' or 'killing' is used for animals, though activists might use it metaphorically.
It is an idiom meaning to do something bad and not get punished for it.
It is a murder that is planned in advance and done on purpose.
It is an old folk tradition, possibly because crows were seen as omens of death.
Homicide is the broad category of any human killing another; murder is a specific illegal type.
Yes, you can say 'He murdered the victim'.
It is a genre of story where a detective tries to find out who committed a murder.
It is when someone tries to kill another person but the person does not die.
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Summary
Murder is the most severe form of homicide, defined by the specific intent to take a life unlawfully, and it is a central theme in law, news, and mystery fiction.
- Murder is the intentional and illegal killing of a human being by another.
- It is a major crime in all legal systems, usually carrying the harshest penalties.
- The word is used as both a noun for the crime and a verb for the act.
- It is distinct from manslaughter, which lacks the specific intent to kill.
Learn Collocations
Always learn 'commit murder' as a single unit to sound more natural.
Noun vs Verb
Remember 'a murder' is the event, 'to murder' is the action.
Watch Crime Shows
Shows like 'CSI' or 'Sherlock' are great for hearing this word in context.
Be Precise
In formal writing, use 'homicide' unless intent is proven.
Exemple
The news reported a terrible murder in the city center last night.
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