Ritual Killing (Noun)
Meaning
The act of killing (an animal or person) in order to propitiate a deity.
Classification
Nouns denoting acts or actions.
Examples
- The people of the village claimed they were carrying out a ritual killing to appease the gods of fertility after their crops failed for several years in a row.
- Ritual killings had been a regular occurrence among the ancient civilization for thousands of years, where they believed the blood of a young animal could wash away the sins of their tribe.
- Local law enforcement launched an investigation into an alleged ritual killing of a child by a group of practitioners claiming the sacrifice would ensure good health and fortune for the entire family.
- After reading a few accounts of ritual killings by her favorite historian, Emily felt disturbed and immediately shut down her computer for the rest of the evening.
- He mentioned during the debate that historical cases of ritual killings not only undermined faith but further endangered entire groups in ancient cultures who already lacked scientific knowledge of nature and medicine.