genocidaire

See also: génocidaire

English

Alternative forms

• génocidaire

Etymology

Etymology tree

Proto-Indo-European *ǵenh₁-

Proto-Indo-European *-os

Proto-Indo-European *ǵénh₁os

Proto-Hellenic *génos

Ancient Greek γένος (génos)

Proto-Indo-European *kh₂eyd-der.

Proto-Italic *kaidō

Latin caedō

Proto-Indo-European *-eh₂

Proto-Italic *-ā

Latin -a

Latin -cīda

Proto-Indo-European *-yós

Proto-Italic *-ios

Old Latin -ios

Latin -ius

Latin -ium

Latin -cīdiumder.

Middle French -cidebor.

English -cide

English genocidebor.

French génocide

Proto-Indo-European *-yósder.

Proto-Italic *-āzijos

Latin -āriusder.

French -aire

French génocidairebor.

English genocidaire

Borrowed from French génocidaire. Piecewise doublet of genocider.

Pronunciation

• IPA^(key): (like French) /ʒɛn.ə.siˈdɛ(ə)ɹ/, (anglicized) /d͡ʒɛn.ə.saɪˈdɛ(ə)ɹ/

Noun

genocidaire (plural genocidaires)

1. One who was involved in committing (perpetrating) the Rwandan Genocide.
   • 2008 September 21, Ally Carnwath, The Observer:

     'There are thousands of genocidaires living in EU countries, with large numbers in almost every European country including the UK,' said Rakiya Omaar, whose organisation, African Rights, has worked since the genocide to track them down.

   • 2011, Jason K. Stearns, Dancing in the Glory of Monsters, Public Affairs, published 2012, page 73:

     When the RPF sent him and a friend back to school in Rwanda […] his friend attacked the Hutu teacher one night, strangling him with a rope, saying that he was a génocidaire.

   • 2019, Robert Cryer, Darryl Robinson, Sergey Vasiliev, chapter 10, in An Introduction to International Criminal Law and Procedure, Fourth edition, Cambridge University Press, →ISBN, ‘In whole or in part’ (section 10.4.3), page 224:

     To take an example from a clear case of genocide—Rwanda—the Hutu génocidaires did not appear to want to destroy all Tutsis everywhere, but only in Rwanda.

2. One who is involved in committing (perpetrating) any genocide.

   Synonym: genocider

   • 2012, Francis A. Boyle, World Politics, Human Rights, and International Law, page 65:

     […] Israeli genocidaires who have the full support and backing of the racist American genocidaires against Palestine and the Palestinians. The ICC will not touch White racist American, British, Canadian, European, and Israeli perpetrators […]

   • 2021, Richard Rechtman, Living in Death: Genocide and Its Functionaries:

     What we must see, Rechtman argues, is that for genocidaires (those who carry out acts that are or approach genocide), there is nothing extraordinary, unusual, or world-historical about [their acts].

   • 2025 September 2, Jeffrey Sachs, Andrew Napolitano's Judging Freedom, YouTube:

     But the US is completely isolated from the rest of the world in this. Somehow, Rubio in his inexperience thinks that an action like stopping the Palestinian delegates to come spares the US from the opprobrium of being a genocidaire that is complicit in a genocide and being completely isolated in this.

   • 2026, Zahi Zalloua, To Exist as a Problem: Being Black, Being Palestinian, page 127:

     Yoel Elizur recounts the testimony of some of the Israeli genocidaires: "The power they received in the army was intoxicating: 'It's like a drug you feel like you are the law, you make the rules.'"

Translations

one who commits genocide — see genocider

Further reading

• “genocidaire”, in Collins English Dictionary, 2011–present.
• “genocidaire”, in OED Online ⁠, Oxford: Oxford University Press, launched 2000.
• “genocidaire”, in OneLook Dictionary Search.