# lynching

/ˈɫɪntʃɪŋ/ (US) · /lˈɪntʃɪŋ/ (UK) · CEFR C2 · Noun

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/lynching
Updated: 2026-05-09

## Definition

the act of a group of people killing someone without a legal trial. It is a violent crime often used to scare or control a specific group of people.

For teachers: the extrajudicial execution of an individual by a mob, typically carried out to maintain social control or intimidate a minority group. Often involves hanging and is historically associated with racial violence.

## Examples

- The museum documents the history of lynching in the region.
- The historian explained how lynching was used as a tool of terror to prevent people from voting.
- Scholars argue that lynching represented a complete breakdown of the rule of law, where communal violence replaced formal judicial proceedings to enforce informal social hierarchies.

## Usage notes

- Uncountable when referring to the practice in general; countable when referring to specific historical incidents.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.