brutality

noun

bru·​tal·​i·​ty brü-ˈta-lə-tē 

plural brutalities

1

: the quality or state of being brutal

2

: a brutal act or course of action

Synonyms

• atrociousness
• atrocity
• barbarity
• barbarousness
• cruelness
• cruelty
• fiendishness
• heartlessness
• inhumanity
• inhumanness
• sadism
• savageness
• savagery
• truculence
• viciousness
• wantonness

Examples of brutality in a Sentence

the brutalities of a prison

the police were accused of brutality for using excessive force in making arrests

Recent Examples on the Web

Syrians are still digesting the systemic brutality of the regime, now that prisons and torture chambers – chief among them Sednaya – have been opened. —Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 13 Dec. 2024

The killing of the CEO captivated the nation, both for the brutality of the crime and for the anger and frustration many people expressed about the health care insurance system. —Stephan Pechdimaldji, Newsweek, 13 Dec. 2024

Gomez, who is not a native speaker, plays Jessi del Monte in Jacques Audiard’s musical crime drama about a drug lord who escapes his life of brutality to transition in secret with the help of a sentimental lawyer (Zoe Saldana). —Jack Dunn, Variety, 8 Dec. 2024

For these anti-Assad observers, the group presents an opportunity to topple the brutality of his regime and its Russian and Iranian benefactors. —Alexander Smith, NBC News, 2 Dec. 2024

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Medieval Latin brūtālitāt-, brūtālitās, from brūtālis "brutish, bestial" + Latin -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at brutal

First Known Use

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

brutality

noun

bru·​tal·​i·​ty brü-ˈtal-ət-ē 

plural brutalities

1

: the quality or state of being brutal

2

: a brutal act or course of action