Regicide
/ˈrɛdʒɪsaɪd/noun
The killing of a king or queen, or the killer of one.
Did you know?The same Latin root *rex* (“king”) also gave English words like *royal*, *regal*, and *prerogative*, so regicide sits inside an ancient language of authority and rule.
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*h₃reǵ-
“to straighten, direct, or rule”
Latin
Latin
rēx
“king”
Latin
Latin
-cida
“killer, slayer”
Late Latin
Latin
rēgicīda
“king-killer; one who kills a king”
16th Century
English
regicide
“the killing of a king or queen; also a person who commits it”
Modern English
English
regicide
“the killing of a king or queen, or the killer of one”
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