The terms murder and homicides are used when we talk about the death of a person who is not natural or has the involvement of another human being in one way or the other.
Key Takeaways
- Murder is the unlawful killing of a person with intent or malice aforethought, while homicide is the killing of a person, whether lawful or unlawful, intentional or unintentional.
- Murder is a more serious offense than homicide and is punished more severely, while homicide can be considered justifiable in some circumstances.
- “murder” is used in criminal law, while “homicide” is a broader term referring to criminal and non-criminal acts.
Murder vs Homicide
Murder is a type of homicide that is committed with intent. It is the deliberate and premeditated killing of another person, and it is considered one of the most serious crimes in most legal systems. Homicide is a broader term that encompasses all forms of the killing of one person by another, including accidental and justifiable killings.
Murder is a serious and horrible crime. No one in this world has permission to take someone else’s life. This crime involves taking the life of a person from greed, jealousy, individual differences, property, hatred, etc.
Homicide is a term used to define the death of a person which involves any other individual directly or indirectly. This term is, however, not considered offensive or a crime.
Comparison Table
| Parameters of Comparison | Murder | Homicide |
|---|---|---|
| Category | It is a sub-category of murder. | It defines the unnatural death of a human being due to another human being. |
| Punishment | It has a harsh punishment, | It may or may not have a punishment. |
| Crime | It is a horrible crime. | It may or may not be a crime. |
| Tactics | It is pre-planned. | It may or may not be pre-planned. |
| Type | It is very serious in nature. | It may or may not be serious in nature. |
What is Murder?
Murder could be referred to as an awful abusive crime. It is totally considered a very big crime in the eye of the law. We see different cases of murders in our local newspapers or television channels.
Whatever may be the reason killing an individual for personal gain can never be considered normal. No one in the world has a right to take someone else’s life—different countries categorise a murder case in various ways.
Many countries still have followed the punishment of hanging the murderer till death. Many countries have removed such punishments and replaced them with lifelong imprisonment.
Very few cases have a record of murders which is done in the heat of the moment. Most murderers develop extreme hate towards a person that they do not want that individual to be a part of the world.
What is Homicide?
It involves an individual killing another individual. However, it could only be proved to be a crime when an investigation is done.
A homicide could be both legal and illegal. An example could be a police officer killing an individual who may be a serious threat to the public.
However, if a man kills his family member for the sake of property is an example of horrible and illegal homicide. Hence homicide is not always a punishable crime as it could take place for the well-being of the public.
Murders that are not planned and take place in the heat of the moment, which could be as self-defence or an accident that included mistakes of both parties, also come under homicide.
Main Differences Between Murder and Homicide
- Murder has a serious punishment, whereas homicide may or may not have a punishment involved.
- Murders are planned, whereas homicide occurs in the heat of the moment.
- https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781843926399/murder-shani-cruze-sandra-walklate-samantha-pegg
- https://psycnet.apa.org/record/1932-03281-000
Last Updated : 14 August, 2023
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Emma Smith holds an MA degree in English from Irvine Valley College. She has been a Journalist since 2002, writing articles on the English language, Sports, and Law. Read more about me on her bio page.
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