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
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 limited 6-part series was written by the same screenwriter who penned The Revenant, and the show very much follows that film’s style and overall sense of brutality and bleakness. Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Jan. 2025 And the plotting didn’t take place in strange, distant areas: Among those charged with acts of brutality or acting as conspirators in the insurrection were residents of Ormond Beach, Titusville, Kissimmee and other familiar, nearby cities. Orlando Sentinel and New York Daily News Editorial Boards, Orlando Sentinel, 7 Jan. 2025 But for other lawmakers who endured the brutality of Jan. 6, 2021, the memory was still vivid. Faith E. Pinho, Los Angeles Times, 6 Jan. 2025 The ambiguities that result are fascinating and provocative, though Corbet never quite thinks them through: If László is creating, in effect, architectural poetry after Auschwitz, does this poetry redeem the cruelty and brutality of the concentration camps or reproduce it? Richard Brody, The New Yorker, 3 Jan. 2025 See all Example Sentences for brutality 

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

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 20 Jan. 2025.

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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