lynched

Lynched is the past tense of lynch, a term used to describe a killing carried out by a mob outside the bounds of lawful due process. While lynching historically involved hanging, methods could also include shooting, burning, or torture, with the intent to punish, intimidate, or terrorize a target group. The phrase "lynch law" has been used to refer to mob violence that substitutes for formal judicial procedures.

The origin of the term is uncertain. It is commonly connected to the idea of “lynch law” and is sometimes linked to Charles Lynch, a Virginian figure from the late 18th century, though the etymology is debated and the practice predates or evolves beyond a single founder.

In the United States, lynching became a tool of racial terror in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, disproportionately affecting Black people and other marginalized groups. Public acts of lynching were often used to reinforce white supremacy and to intimidate communities, with documentation and advocacy work by activists such as Ida B. Wells highlighting the violence and urging reform.

In modern law, lynching is illegal in most jurisdictions and is prosecuted as murder or as a hate crime. In the United States, federal anti-lynching legislation culminated in the Emmett Till Antilynching Act, signed into law in 2022, which criminalizes lynching as a federal hate crime. Contemporary discussions frame "lynched" as a historical reminder of a pattern of violence and its enduring impact on communities. Related terms include lynching, mob violence, vigilante justice, and racial terror.