war crime

noun

: a crime (such as genocide or maltreatment of prisoners) committed during or in connection with war
usually used in plural
war criminal noun

Examples of war crime in a Sentence

He was found guilty of torture and other war crimes.
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.
On Monday, more than 800 lawyers, academics and retired judges called on Mr. Starmer in an open letter to impose sanctions, saying that Israel was guilty of war crimes and had met the threshold for genocide. Mark Landler, New York Times, 29 May 2025 The United Kingdom suspended free trade talks, and several aid groups call Israeli actions in Gaza a war crime. Anna Mulrine Grobe, Christian Science Monitor, 23 May 2025 Wikileaks founder Julian Assange has been the focus of numerous documentaries: Alex Gibney’s We Steal Secrets explored the website Assange created that exposed U.S. war crimes in Iraq, an immense cache of U.S. diplomatic cables, and much more. Matthew Carey, Deadline, 21 May 2025 Russian officials have previously denied that Russian troops have committed war crimes and insisted that Russia treats prisoners of war in accordance with international law. Nick Paton Walsh, CNN Money, 21 May 2025 See All Example Sentences for war crime

Word History

First Known Use

1906, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of war crime was in 1906

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Cite this Entry

“War crime.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/war%20crime. Accessed 4 Jun. 2025.

Legal Definition

war crime

noun
: an act committed usually during an international war for which individual criminal liability will be imposed by a domestic or international tribunal
specifically : a violation of the laws or customs of war as embodied or recognized by international treaty, court decisions, or established practice
usually used in pl.

Note: Following World War II, the Charter of the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg first codified war crimes including crimes against humanity. Also encompassed in the legal concept of war crimes is the crime of planning or waging a war of aggression or a war in violation of international treaties.

More from Merriam-Webster on war crime

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