What term refers to the mass murder of an entire race or group of people?

The term "genocide" specifically refers to the systematic and deliberate destruction of a racial, ethnic, national, or cultural group. This concept encompasses actions that aim to eliminate a group of people based on their identity, which may include killing, causing serious bodily or mental harm, inflicting living conditions intended to destroy the group, and implementing measures to prevent births within the group.

The significance of this term lies in its legal and historical implications, as it is recognized in international law and is often used to denote some of the most horrific acts in human history, such as the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide. This term captures the intent behind the actions, making it distinct from other forms of killing or violence which may not necessarily involve targeting specific groups for extermination based on identity.

While other terms like "massacre" can imply large-scale killings, they do not specifically denote the systematic intent to eliminate an entire group. Similarly, "euthanasia" typically refers to the practice of intentionally ending a person's life to relieve suffering, and "extermination" may imply the eradication of pests or threats without the specific connotation of targeting human groups for their identity, thus lacking the precise meaning encompassed by genocide.