lynching
UK: ˈlɪn(t)ʃɪŋ | US: ˈlɪn(t)ʃɪŋ
n. the act of killing someone, especially by hanging, without legal authority or due process, often by a mob.
The term "lynching" traces back to the late 18th century, likely derived from the name of Charles Lynch, a Virginia planter and justice of the peace who authorized extrajudicial punishments during the American Revolution. The suffix "-ing" nominalizes the verb, turning it into a term for the act itself. Over time, "lynching" became strongly associated with mob violence, particularly racial terror in the U.S., where it was used to enforce white supremacy. The morpheme "lynch" preserves its historical link to unauthorized executions, while "-ing" generalizes it as a practice.
The community was horrified by the lynching of an innocent man.
Lynching was used as a tool of racial intimidation in the Jim Crow South.
Historians have documented thousands of lynching victims in the U.S.
Anti-lynching legislation was delayed for decades due to political opposition.
Memorials now honor those who died by lynching.