violence
Americannoun
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violence
plural
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swift and intense force.
the violence of a storm.
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rough or injurious physical force, action, or treatment.
to die by violence.
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an unjust or unwarranted exertion of force or power, as against rights or laws.
to take over a government by violence.
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a violent act or proceeding.
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rough or immoderate vehemence, as of feeling or language.
the violence of his hatred.
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damage through distortion or unwarranted alteration.
to do editorial violence to a text.
noun
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the exercise or an instance of physical force, usually effecting or intended to effect injuries, destruction, etc
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powerful, untamed, or devastating force
the violence of the sea
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great strength of feeling, as in language, etc; fervour
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an unjust, unwarranted, or unlawful display of force, esp such as tends to overawe or intimidate
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to inflict harm upon; damage or violate
they did violence to the prisoners
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to distort or twist the sense or intention of
the reporters did violence to my speech
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Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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.
Vocabulary lists containing violence
Schooled
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Fear and Loathing in Cleveland: Trump's RNC Acceptance Speech
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Sula
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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.
“Refusing to tear my clothes and smear ashes on my face in performative mourning for a white man that espoused violence is … not the same as violence,” Attiah said in another post.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 24, 2026
"We do not condone violence in any form, and the since-deleted video does not reflect our values or commitment to inclusivity and respect."
From BBC ● Aug. 23, 2026
The Dear Merseyside guided classroom resources are designed to encourage young people in schools to have discussions about the devastating impact of violence, recognising criminal exploitation and making positive life choices, Merseyside Police said.
From BBC ● Aug. 21, 2026
"When violence takes place at a school, I know it impacts everyone in our country. All of Sweden stands with Fagersta in this difficult time."
From Barron's ● Aug. 21, 2026
I don’t think my costume was bad, and it sure wasn’t supporting violence.
From "A Good Kind of Trouble" by Lisa Moore Ramée
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.
