violence

American  

[vahy-uh-luhns] / ˈvaɪ ə ləns /

noun

1. swift and intense force.

   the violence of a storm.

   Synonyms:

   fury, impact, power, might

2. rough or injurious physical force, action, or treatment.

   to die by violence.

3. an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against rights or laws.

   to take over a government by violence.

4. a violent act or proceeding.

5. rough or immoderate vehemence, as of feeling or language.

   the violence of his hatred.

6. damage through distortion or unwarranted alteration.

   to do editorial violence to a text.

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violence British  

/ ˈvaɪələns /

noun

1. the exercise or an instance of physical force, usually effecting or intended to effect injuries, destruction, etc

2. powerful, untamed, or devastating force

   the violence of the sea

3. great strength of feeling, as in language, etc; fervour

4. an unjust, unwarranted, or unlawful display of force, esp such as tends to overawe or intimidate

5. 1. to inflict harm upon; damage or violate

      they did violence to the prisoners

   2. to distort or twist the sense or intention of

      the reporters did violence to my speech

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Other Word Forms

• antiviolence
  adjective
• counterviolence
  noun
• self-violence
  noun

Etymology

Origin of violence

First recorded in 1250–1300; Middle English, from Anglo-French, Old French, from Latin violentia; see violent, -ence

Explanation

Violence is aggression, usually physical aggression that causes harm. Beating someone up and attacking a defenseless village are both forms of violence. From wars and acts of terrorism to bar brawls, violence is unfortunately very common in the world — and when there's violence, people get hurt. But you'll see a lot of organized violence and acts of aggression in sports: boxing and football are extremely violent, which is why people who play those sports get so many injuries. We can also say that something powerful or wild happens with violence, like a destructive tornado.

Example Sentences

Under federal law, the crime of “doxxing” requires that a victim’s name and address be made public for the purposes of threatening them or inciting violence.

From Los Angeles Times • May 27, 2026

Lawyer Busayapa said creating a safer environment would require society to recognise there is no "perfect victim" and that "sexual violence should be met with genuine zero tolerance".

From Barron's • May 25, 2026

Instead, he immediately connected the violence to his broader vision of a more securitized presidential space — one built around controlled environments, physical barriers and visible protection systems.

From Salon • May 24, 2026

"We used to talk about technology-facilitated violence and abuse; I think that's almost not a useful term anymore, because … it's practically all technology-facilitated," she said.

From BBC • May 22, 2026

Local police acknowledged that no significant level of violence was associated with crack in Seattle and that other drugs were causing more hospitalizations, but steadfastly maintained that their deployment decisions were nondiscriminatory.

From "The New Jim Crow" by Michelle Alexander

Related Words

• assault
• attack
• bloodshed
• brutality
• clash
• confusion
• cruelty
• disorder
• disturbance
• fighting
• rampage
• struggle
• terrorism