noun
- The state or condition of being guilty of causing someone's death; responsibility for bloodshed or murder.
Usage: archaic or literary; typically used in plural or as a mass noun; often appears in religious or moral contexts
Examples
- The king sought to cleanse himself of bloodguilt after the battle.
- In ancient law, bloodguilt could pass from one generation to the next.
- The prophet declared that the nation bore bloodguilt for its injustices.
- He feared the bloodguilt that would follow such a violent act.
- Religious texts often address the concept of bloodguilt and atonement.