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domestic violence
noun
: violent or abusive behavior directed by one family or household member against another
He helped start Austin's Children's Advocacy Center, which works with abused kids, and a family-justice division of the D.A.'s office, which prosecutes those accused of domestic violence and helps their families get back to normal.—John Cloud
a domestic violence hotline
In another disturbing trend, women are victims of domestic violence that spills into the workplace.—Sarah Henry
Examples of domestic violence in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Content warning: This recap contains descriptions of domestic violence.
—Emma Specter, Vogue, 27 Sep. 2024
Sitting in the densest rush-hour traffic has been shown to increase rates of nighttime domestic violence by up to 9%.
—Danish Kurani, TIME, 27 Sep. 2024
James was arrested in August 2022, and another year passed before he was found guilty of Yazzie’s murder, along with multiple domestic violence charges involving three other women, which included suffocation, strangulation, kidnapping and assault with a dangerous weapon.
—Arlyssa D. Becenti, The Arizona Republic, 24 Sep. 2024
Artem Chigvintsev, a former pro on Dancing with the Stars, will not be facing charges after his arrest on suspicion of domestic violence.
—Armando Tinoco, Deadline, 24 Sep. 2024
See all Example Sentences for domestic violence
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'domestic violence.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Word History
First Known Use
1891, in the meaning defined above
Time Traveler
The first known use of domestic violence was
in 1891
Dictionary Entries Near domestic violence
Cite this Entry
“Domestic violence.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestic%20violence. Accessed 5 Oct. 2024.
Kids Definition
domestic violence
noun
: the inflicting of physical harm by one family or household member on another
Legal Definition
domestic violence
noun
domestic vi·o·lence
: violence committed by one family or household member against another see also restraining order at order
More from Merriam-Webster on domestic violence
Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about domestic violence
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Merriam-Webster unabridged
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