massacri

Massacri is the Italian noun used to refer to large-scale killings carried out in a single event or over a brief period, typically involving many victims. In Italian, the singular is massacro and the plural is massacri. The term is used in historical writing, journalism, and public discourse to describe violent episodes in which multiple people are killed, often civilians or non-combatants.

The word massacro and its plural massacri have cognates in other Romance languages, and the form has influenced the English word massacre. The exact etymology is a matter of linguistic history, but the term generally circulated through Italian and related languages as a designation for brutal, concentrated violence.

In historiography, massacri are discussed as events within wars, political violence, ethnic or religious persecution, or acts of terrorism. Analyses focus on factors such as planning, scale, targets, and the legal and humanitarian implications of the killings, as well as the impact on survivors and communities.

Notable examples often cited in international discourse include the Nanjing Massacre (1937–1938) in China, the My Lai Massacre (1968) in Vietnam, the Sabra and Shatila massacre (1982) in Lebanon, and the Srebrenica massacre (1995) in Bosnia and Herzegovina. In many cases, scholars assess whether the acts meet criteria for war crimes, crimes against humanity, or genocide, depending on context, intent, and scale.