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cruelty

[ kroo-uhl-tee ]
/ ˈkru əl ti /
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noun, plural cru·el·ties for 3.
the state or quality of being cruel.
cruel disposition or conduct.
a cruel act.
Law. conduct by a spouse that causes grievous bodily harm or mental suffering.
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Origin of cruelty

1175–1225; Middle English cruelte<Anglo-French, Old French <Latin crĆ«dēlitāt- (stem of crĆ«dēlitās). See cruel, -ity

OTHER WORDS FROM cruelty

an·ti·cru·el·ty, adjectiveself-cru·el·ty, noun, plural self·-cru·el·ties.
Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use cruelty in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for cruelty

cruelty
/ (ˈkruːəltÉȘ) /

noun plural -ties
deliberate infliction of pain or suffering
the quality or characteristic of being cruel
a cruel action
law conduct that causes danger to life or limb or a threat to bodily or mental health, on proof of which a decree of divorce may be granted
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
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