internecine

adjective

in·​ter·​ne·​cine ˌin-tər-ˈne-ˌsēn How to pronounce internecine (audio)
-ˈnē-sᵊn,
-ˈnē-ˌsīn,
-nə-ˈsēn;
in-ˈtər-nə-ˌsēn
1
: of, relating to, or involving conflict within a group
bitter internecine feuds
2
: marked by slaughter : deadly
especially : mutually destructive

Did you know?

Internecine comes from the Latin internecinus ("fought to the death" or "destructive"), which traces to the verb "necare" ("to kill") and the prefix inter-. ("Inter-" usually means "between" or "mutual" in Latin, but it can also indicate the completion of an action.) Internecine meant "deadly" when it appeared in English in the early 17th century, but when Samuel Johnson entered it in his dictionary almost a century later, he was apparently misled by "inter-" and defined the word as "endeavouring mutual destruction." Johnson's definition was carried into later dictionaries, and before long his sense was the dominant meaning of the word. "Internecine" developed the association with internal group conflict in the 20th century, and that's the most common sense today.

Examples of internecine in a Sentence

a political party that has suffered because of bitter internecine rivalries
Recent Examples on the Web Trump’s reactions to Nikki Haley go well beyond the conventions of internecine party campaign antagonistic rhetoric. Richard Vatz, Baltimore Sun, 7 Feb. 2024 The sad truth is that U.S. governmental dysfunction and internecine domestic warfare are key to Trump’s operating mode. Trudy Rubin, The Mercury News, 27 Jan. 2024 And there are signs that other militias are getting over internecine conflicts and aligning against the junta. Avinash Paliwal, Foreign Affairs, 24 Jan. 2024 In reality, the digging seems to have more to do with the internecine battle between the sects and the fight over control of 770 Eastern Parkway, a site of huge importance in the Lubavitch community. Curbed, 10 Jan. 2024 Over the course of three weeks in October, internecine House GOP warfare claimed the scalps of Speaker Kevin McCarthy, Majority Leader Steve Scalise, Judiciary Committee chairman Jim Jordan, and Majority Whip Tom Emmer. John McCormack, National Review, 9 Nov. 2023 New Yorkers will love to hear their name on TV, and non–New Yorkers will delight in the internecine drama that has nothing to do with them. Vulture, 27 Oct. 2023 The 10 departing schools have agreed in principle to a settlement with Washington State and Oregon State that ends three months of internecine litigation and provides clarity on the future of the conference. Jon Wilner, San Diego Union-Tribune, 22 Dec. 2023 To Egypt’s west is Libya’s never-ending conflict, and to its south, Sudan’s internecine bloodshed. Vivian Yee, New York Times, 18 Dec. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'internecine.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Latin internecinus, from internecare to destroy, kill, from inter- + necare to kill, from nec-, nex violent death — more at noxious

First Known Use

1642, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of internecine was in 1642

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Dictionary Entries Near internecine

Cite this Entry

“Internecine.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/internecine. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

internecine

adjective
in·​ter·​ne·​cine ˈint-ər-ˈnes-ˌēn How to pronounce internecine (audio)
-ˈnē-ˌsīn;
in-ˈtər-nə-ˌsēn
1
: marked by slaughter : deadly
2
: of, relating to, or involving conflict within a group
internecine feuds

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