📖 Meaning
To execute one person as a warning to many others. It describes a disciplinary strategy of making a severe example of a single wrongdoer to deter the rest from misconduct. The idiom emphasizes deterrence through visible punishment.
📜 Origin Story
The phrase originates from the Qing dynasty scholar Xia Xie (夏燮), appearing in the postface (后序) of his historical work. Xia Xie used the expression to describe the necessity of punishing a few to eliminate widespread观望 (wavering or fence-sitting) among the populace during times of crisis. The idiom reflects a traditional Chinese governance philosophy: that swift and visible retribution against a single offender can restore order more effectively than broad campaigns. It is closely related in meaning to the more common idiom 杀一儆百.
💡 Example Usage
将军下令将临阵脱逃的士兵当众斩首，意在歼一警百，稳固军心。
The general ordered the deserter to be publicly beheaded, intending to kill one as a warning to a hundred and thereby steady the army's morale.
🏷️ Category
➕ Similar Idioms
➖ Opposite Idioms
🔤 Quick Facts
- Chinese: 歼一警百
- Pinyin: jiān yī jǐng bǎi
- Literal Translation: kill, one, warn, hundred
- Category: Leadership
- Characters: 4