savagery
Americannoun
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an uncivilized or barbaric state or condition; barbarity.
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savage action, nature, disposition, or behavior.
noun
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an uncivilized condition
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a savage act or nature
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savages collectively
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of savagery
Explanation
Savagery is fierce or brutal violence. The savagery of boxing is just too much for me — I prefer sports like rowing and badminton. When you think of savagery, extreme physical violence probably comes to mind. The savagery of war, brutal crackdowns by totalitarian governments, and vicious attacks are all good examples. There's also a figurative kind of savagery: "The restaurant critic's savagery felt like a personal attack on the chef." Savagery has a Latin source meaning "wild" or "of the woods," from a root that means "forest."
Vocabulary lists containing savagery
Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Savagery was just a nuance away from virility, after all.
From New York Times • Mar. 3, 2022
Savagery isn’t enough for a species, or a story to endure, and Tartakovsky argues that compassion is just as primal.
From The Verge • Oct. 7, 2019
Savagery finished fourth but was disqualified and placed fifth.
From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 8, 2018
Savagery is in the eye of the beholder.
From New York Times • Jul. 5, 2012
I answer that, "Savagery" and "brutality" take their names from a likeness to wild beasts which are also described as savage.
From Summa Theologica, Part II-II (Secunda Secundae) Translated by Fathers of the English Dominican Province by Thomas, Aquinas, Saint
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
