violence

noun

vi·​o·​lence ˈvī-lən(t)s 

ˈvī-ə-

1

a

: the use of physical force so as to injure, abuse, damage, or destroy

b

: an instance of violent treatment or procedure

2

: injury by or as if by distortion, infringement, or profanation : outrage

3

a

: intense, turbulent, or furious and often destructive action or force

the violence of the storm

b

: vehement feeling or expression : fervor

also : an instance of such action or feeling

c

: a clashing or jarring quality : discordance

4

: undue alteration (as of wording or sense in editing a text)

Synonyms

• force
• foul play

Examples of violence in a Sentence

They need to learn how to settle their arguments without resorting to violence.

movies filled with sex and violence

The violence of the storm caused great fear.

Recent Examples on the Web

In the case of a student threatening to physically harm someone, whether it is spoken, written or gestured, the Arizona Department of Education encourages schools to have a threat assessment protocol and build a team to determine whether the student legitimately poses a threat of violence. —The Arizona Republic, 22 Apr. 2024

Sahar told Fox News Digital that violence was bound to happen, as the university has refused to intervene for fear of escalation – which in turn, enables violence to escalate. —Bradford Betz, Fox News, 22 Apr. 2024

In a joint investigation the Montgomery County Police Department and the FBI Baltimore Field Office found internet searches, drawings and documents that showed threats of mass violence towards Wootton High School and a local elementary school, police said. —USA TODAY, 20 Apr. 2024

The American road-trip narrative is often marked by violence. —Naomi Fry, The New Yorker, 20 Apr. 2024

Hessler said Turnage’s treatment of employees ranged from verbal abuse and inappropriate language to public scoldings and threats of physical violence. —Molly Gibbs, The Mercury News, 19 Apr. 2024

In the film, Kurosawa’s penultimate feature as a director, a grandmother, a victim of the Nagasaki bombing, passes on her faith in love and integrity as a bulwark against war and violence to her grandchildren and her American nephew. —Scott Roxborough, The Hollywood Reporter, 19 Apr. 2024

What the limited federal data didn’t capture was the extent of violence or battery exacted on transit workers. —Rachel Uranga, Los Angeles Times, 19 Apr. 2024

And speaking of that clash of worldviews, find someone who loves you like this show loves to ironically juxtapose scenes of despair or stylized, gory violence with upbeat or wistful Forties and Fifties pop songs. —Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 10 Apr. 2024

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Phrases Containing violence

• anti-violence
• counter-violence
• domestic violence
• do violence to

Kids Definition

violence

noun

vi·​o·​lence ˈvī-ə-lən(t)s 

1

: the use of force in a way that harms a person or property

2

: great force or energy especially of a destructive kind

the violence of the storm caused great fear