brutality

noun

bru·​tal·​i·​ty brü-ˈta-lə-tē How to pronounce brutality (audio)
plural brutalities
1
: the quality or state of being brutal
2
: a brutal act or course of action

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 For years, the Israeli center has been moving right — a trend accelerated by the brutality of the Hamas attack on Oct. 7. William Booth, Washington Post, 21 Mar. 2024 Hondo’s staging is clear and classical, with mighty formations of soldiers, skirmishes on horseback, terrifying acts of brutality, turbulent crowd scenes, and intimate dramas of debate, whispers of counsel, and hubristic rants. Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 20 Mar. 2024 Recent accounts provide even more evidence of the brutality of Venezuela’s regime. Ana Leca, National Review, 18 Mar. 2024 The production’s evocation of the brutality of the barracks juxtaposed against the aching beauty of the poems on its walls is particularly memorable. Karen D'souza, The Mercury News, 18 Mar. 2024 The demonstrations were met with brutality, with hundreds killed by security forces and thousands detained. Ishaan Tharoor, Washington Post, 3 Mar. 2024 Sherald’s work is in direct resistance to Black lives being visually documented as a monolith through the trope of struggle or brutality. Amy Carleton, Charlotte Observer, 29 Feb. 2024 Ruthless, entrepreneurial cartel perfects the timeshare scheme The Jalisco cartel is known for its brutality, with regular headlines across Mexico documenting beheadings, torture and deadly gun battles against Mexican military forces. Steve Fisher, USA TODAY, 23 Feb. 2024 Prabowo’s opponents argue that his record of military brutality and antidemocratic election denialism has merely been obscured by a smart campaign and that power would be dangerous in his hands. Ben Bland, Foreign Affairs, 13 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'brutality.' 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

1550, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of brutality was in 1550

Dictionary Entries Near brutality

Cite this Entry

“Brutality.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/brutality. Accessed 29 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

brutality

noun
bru·​tal·​i·​ty brü-ˈtal-ət-ē How to pronounce brutality (audio)
plural brutalities
1
: the quality or state of being brutal
2
: a brutal act or course of action

More from Merriam-Webster on brutality

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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