cruelty

noun

cru·​el·​ty ˈkrü(-ə)l-tē How to pronounce cruelty (audio)
plural cruelties
1
: the quality or state of being cruel
2
a
: a cruel action
b
: inhuman treatment
3
: marital conduct held (as in a divorce action) to endanger life or health or to cause mental suffering or fear

Examples of cruelty in a Sentence

a dictator known for his cruelty The cruelty of children can be surprising. They protested against cruelty to animals.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
The prosecutor said Dieringer was on probation at the time of the slaying and had prior felony convictions that included animal cruelty. Christine Pelisek, People.com, 8 Sep. 2025 His mother, Hilda Vasquez, was taken into custody on Sunday and has been charged with negligent homicide and second-degree cruelty to juveniles, police said. Meredith Deliso, ABC News, 8 Sep. 2025 With this setup, and with two stars who have done well playing characters on their respective Houses with a great capacity for rationalizing their cruelty to others, The Girlfriend could easily get away with going back and forth on the blame game for most of its six-hour length. Alan Sepinwall, Rolling Stone, 8 Sep. 2025 This story of Fagin highlights the cruelty of discrimination, the plight of the poor and the importance of role models. The Know, Denver Post, 7 Sep. 2025 See All Example Sentences for cruelty

Word History

Etymology

Middle English cruelte, from Anglo-French cruelté, from Latin crudelitat-, crudelitas, from crudelis

First Known Use

13th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of cruelty was in the 13th century

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Cruelty.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/cruelty. Accessed 11 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

cruelty

noun
cru·​el·​ty ˈkrü-əl-tē How to pronounce cruelty (audio)
plural cruelties
1
: the quality or state of being cruel
2
: cruel treatment

Legal Definition

cruelty

noun
cru·​el·​ty
plural cruelties
1
a
: an intentional or criminally negligent act that causes pain and suffering
cruelty to animals
cruelty to children
b
: mistreatment or neglect that causes pain and suffering compare abuse

Note: Cruelty is an aggravating circumstance to a crime (as murder).

2
: a spouse's conduct that endangers life or health or causes mental suffering or fear

called also cruel and inhuman treatment

Note: Cruelty is a ground for divorce.

More from Merriam-Webster on cruelty

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