mass murder
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mass murder
The killing of a large number of people, often as part of a single event or a systematic action.
Der Täter wurde wegen mehrfachen Massenmordes zu lebenslanger Haft verurteilt.
The perpetrator was sentenced to life in prison for multiple counts of mass murder.
The word is a compound of 'Massen' (plural of 'Masse', here in the sense of 'many people') and 'Mord' (murder). So it literally describes the murder of a large crowd of people.
Historische Dokumente belegen den schrecklichen Massenmord.
Historical documents provide evidence of the terrible mass murder.
'Massenmord' (mass murder) is often combined with certain verbs. Typical formulations include 'einen Massenmord begehen' (to commit mass murder), 'einen Massenmord planen' (to plan mass murder), or 'einen Massenmord verhindern' (to prevent mass murder).
Die internationale Gemeinschaft versuchte, den drohenden Massenmord zu verhindern.
The international community tried to prevent the impending mass murder.
This is a very strong and formal word, used mainly in legal, historical, and journalistic contexts. It has a very serious and grave connotation.
In den Nachrichten wurde über die Aufklärung eines Massenmordes berichtet.
The news reported on the investigation of a mass murder.
massacre
'das Massaker' and 'der Massenmord' both describe the killing of many people. 'Massaker' places more emphasis on the brutal, cruel situation and often on the defenselessness of the victims. 'Massenmord' sounds more factual and can also refer to the planned or systematic killing of many people. The words can be confused because both describe very severe violence. As a simple guide: 'Massaker' fits more with the cruel scene of an event, while 'Massenmord' fits more with the act or the crime as a whole.
Der Historiker spricht von einem geplanten Massenmord während des Krieges.
The historian speaks of a planned mass murder during the war.
Im Museum erfuhren wir von einem Massaker an der Zivilbevölkerung.
At the museum, we learned about a massacre of the civilian population.