Legal Definitions - uxoricide

Uxoricide

This term refers to two distinct but related concepts:

• The act of a husband murdering his wife.
• The man who commits this act.

Here are some examples to illustrate the use of "uxoricide":

• Example 1: Following a contentious divorce proceeding, a man named David intentionally caused the death of his estranged wife. The prosecutor, in describing the crime, would characterize it as an act of uxoricide.

  Explanation: This scenario demonstrates the first meaning, where the term describes the specific act of a husband killing his wife.

• Example 2: A man, Robert, was convicted of strangling his wife during an argument. In discussions about the case, legal analysts might refer to Robert as an uxoricide, highlighting the particular nature of his crime.

  Explanation: Here, the term is used in its second sense, referring to the individual man who committed the murder of his wife.

• Example 3: A historical drama depicted a nobleman in the 17th century who arranged for his wife to be killed to marry a younger woman. The play's narrator used the term uxoricide to describe both the terrible deed and the nobleman who orchestrated it.

  Explanation: This example illustrates how the term can be applied in narrative contexts to refer to both the act of a husband killing his wife and the man who carried out that act.