persistent cruelty

British  

noun

1. law conduct causing fear of danger to the life or health of a spouse (used in matrimonial proceedings before magistrates)

---

Example Sentences

And unlike the persistent cruelty of cyberbullying, it can be a one-time thing.

From Salon

Persistent cruelty of the husband toward his wife; 5.

From Project Gutenberg

But when his first wife—he had been married at sixteen—shot herself in front of him, on account of his persistent cruelty and infidelity, he showed no sign of distress, had the body carried out of his studio, and went on composing.

From Project Gutenberg

I have a daughter—the lawful heiress of the Kurston lands—whom my wife drove, by subtle and persistent cruelty, from her home.

From Project Gutenberg

As a result of this silent persistent cruelty on the part of a cold, correct, narrow-minded woman, the character of Lord Byron has been misunderstood, and his name transmitted to after-ages clouded with aspersions and accusations which it is the object of this book to remove.

From Project Gutenberg