lynch
lynch Lexical Profile
lynch Game Scores & Validity
• verb
To put a person to death by mob action without a legal trial or due process of law, especially by hanging.
"The historical commission documented hundreds of cases in which vigilante mobs conspired to lynch accused individuals before a court could convene."
Word Nuance & Usage
Because of its direct association with the historical terror and racial violence of mob executions in the United States, using 'lynch' hyperbolically in casual or political contexts is widely considered offensive and inappropriate.
• Rhymes for lynch
Word Origin & Etymology
Coined in the early 19th-century United States as a back-formation from 'Lynch's law,' most likely named after Captain William Lynch (1742–1820) or Judge Charles Lynch (1736–1796) of Virginia, both of whom presided over informal tribunals that punished suspected loyalists and criminals without due process during the American Revolutionary era.