crime against humanity

noun phrase

: atrocity (such as extermination or enslavement) that is directed especially against an entire population or part of a population on specious grounds and without regard to individual guilt or responsibility even on such grounds

Examples of crime against humanity in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Drone attacks in Kherson have more than doubled, with the UN concluding these widespread assaults constitute murder as a crime against humanity. — David Kirichenko, Forbes.com, 2 July 2026 The agreement at a summit hosted in Ghana by President John Dramani Mahama and attended by the presidents of Liberia, Namibia, and Senegal comes on the heels of a UN declaration that the slave trade was a crime against humanity. — Alexander Onukwue, semafor.com, 22 June 2026 Another senator, Ronald dela Rosa, has gone into hiding after the International Criminal Court issued a warrant for his arrest for an alleged crime against humanity. — ABC News, 1 June 2026 Countries are not blocked, because people are blocked and that must be a crime against humanity. — Dan Gooding, MSNBC Newsweek, 24 Nov. 2025 See All Example Sentences for crime against humanity

Word History

First Known Use

1878, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of crime against humanity was in 1878

Rhymes for crime against humanity

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Browse Nearby Words

Crimea
crime against humanity
crime against nature
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Cite this Entry

“Crime against humanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/crime%20against%20humanity. Accessed 14 Jul. 2026.

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Legal Definition

crime against humanity

crime against hu·​man·​i·​ty
: an inhumane act (as enslavement) committed against civilians before or during a war for which criminal liability is imposed by a domestic or international tribunal see also war crime

More from Merriam-Webster on crime against humanity

Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about crime against humanity

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