kill/murder

Question

What is the difference between 'to kill' and 'to murder'? Thanks

Prajwalkr · Accepted Answer

Veronica 222'to kill'

To cause the death of a living being.

Veronica 222to murder

The unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.

Prajwal

AlpheccaStars · Answer

prajwalkrThe unlawful premeditated killing of one human being by another.

Murder is not necessarily premeditated. There are different degrees of murder or criminal homicide according to the law:

First degree murder (planned ahead of time)
Second degree murder (not planned ahead of time)
Voluntary manslaughter (killing under conditions of passion or insanity)
Involuntary manslaughter (Killing someone accidentally, through neglect)

Anonymous · Answer

Hello, Veronica:

You have asked a great question.

I think that the word "murder" often depends on your opinion.

At this very moment, soldiers in country X are killing anti-government forces. But many people feel that it is more

accurate to say that the soldiers are murdering innocent people. The word "murder" often carries the idea that the

killing is absolutely wrong.

Some countries have capital punishment. This means that the government will execute (kill) people who do bad things.

They execute bad people by hanging them, shooting them, or putting them to death with some special medicine.

Some people call capital punishment "murder." They think that it is morally wrong.

*****

Sometimes the word "murder" is used in a humorous way. If a singer is singing a song very badly, someone might

say, "She is murdering that song!" (Not: "She is killing that song.") But if someone is saying something that really makes

you laugh and laugh and laugh, you could say, "Stop it! You are killing me!" (Not: "You are murdering me.")

*****

I am so glad that you asked this question. There is often a big difference between those two words. In one way, the

verb "to kill" is a "neutral" way to say that a life has been ended ("They were killed in a car accident"). The word "murder"

is not only a legal term but also one that involves ideas of good and bad. Sometimes it is even funny: "His English is

terrible. Every time he speaks, he murders the language!"

HAVE A NICE DAY!

kill/murder

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