noun
violence
VY-uh-luns/ˈvaɪələns/
Force used to cause injury or damage.
The woman's punch is an act of violence against the man.
Etymology
Latin violentia expressed vehemence or impetuosity. The selected meaning gives that intensity a concrete, harmful application: physical force used to injure people or damage things, a sense present in the earliest English evidence.
In context
… provided this definition for violence any overt depiction of a credible threat of physical force
More examples
- The argument turns to violence when one customer hits another.
- The school has strict rules against violence.
- She leaves home to escape domestic violence.
Forms
violent adjective — Using physical force to cause harm.
violently adverb — With physical force that causes harm.
Similar words
- brutality
- Emphasizes extreme cruelty or savagery in the force used.
- assault
- Usually names a particular attack rather than harmful force generally.