Which statement defines homicide?

Which statement defines homicide?

• A. the killing of a human being by another
• B. the unlawful killing of a human being
• C. the natural death of a human under a doctor's care
• D. the lawful killing of a human in self defense

Answer: (A)

Homicide is defined by the basic fact that one person causes the death of another. That clear element—the killer being another person who ends a life—is what sets homicide apart from other types of death. The other statements introduce qualifiers or exclusions: labeling it unlawful narrows the concept to criminal cases and leaves out lawful killings that involve a person causing death; describing a natural death under medical care excludes any human-caused act; and a lawful killing in self-defense refers to a justified act that isn’t treated as homicide in the criminal sense. So the broad definition, focusing on one person causing the death of another, is the correct way to define homicide.

Homicide is defined by the basic fact that one person causes the death of another. That clear element—the killer being another person who ends a life—is what sets homicide apart from other types of death. The other statements introduce qualifiers or exclusions: labeling it unlawful narrows the concept to criminal cases and leaves out lawful killings that involve a person causing death; describing a natural death under medical care excludes any human-caused act; and a lawful killing in self-defense refers to a justified act that isn’t treated as homicide in the criminal sense. So the broad definition, focusing on one person causing the death of another, is the correct way to define homicide.