Homicide


Homicide (Latin homicidium, homo human being + caedere to cut, kill) refers to the act of killing another human being.[1] It can also describe a person who has committed such an act, though this use is rare in modern English. Although homicide does not define an illegal act necessarily, some jurisdictions use the word to indicate the unlawful killing of a person. Homicide may include murder, voluntary manslaughter, and involuntary manslaughter. There are a number of defenses that make homicide justifiable or not legally "murder" in some cases.