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 of brutality

• cruelty

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

The story is organized by the seasons, and the director uses changes in the weather and the light to build the picture’s gathering mood of ossified brutality. — Bilge Ebiri, Vulture, 6 Nov. 2026

The brutality of American immigration enforcement is nothing new. — Francisco Cantú, New Yorker, 2 Nov. 2026

That film’s formal rigor, matched with the horror of the live news reports as the situation stormed out of control, accentuated the incident’s brutality and bigotry. — Los Angeles Times, 30 Oct. 2026

This brutality isn’t the Bay Area band’s only mode, but hardly a song passes on Sigil without destruction, or at least the looming threat of it. — Marissa Lorusso, Pitchfork, 28 Oct. 2026

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

Rhymes for brutality

• banality
• bestiality
• carnality
• centrality
• chirality
• duality
• fatality
• finality
• formality
• frugality
• legality
• lethality

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