Genocide is the intentional and systemic destruction of a particular group of people based on their ethnicity, nationality, race, or religion. The term was coined in the aftermath of World War II and the Holocaust, where millions of Jews and others were killed.
The United Nations Genocide Convention, adopted in 1948, defines genocide as acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group. These acts can include killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting living conditions intended to destroy the group, and imposing measures to prevent births within the group.
Genocide is considered one of the most serious crimes under international law, and those who are found guilty of committing genocide can be prosecuted by national or international courts.