violence

American  

[vahy-uh-luhns] / ˈvaɪ ə ləns /

noun

• violence
  plural

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

Derived Forms

• counterviolence
  noun
• self-violence
  noun
• antiviolence
  adjective

Inflected Forms

Nouns

• violence
  plural

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

See Examples For:

violence

Radio Scotland Mornings have spoken to the Hunter Family as part of a series on violence against women - you can listen to the full programme here.

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

OpenAI Chief Strategy Officer Jason Kwon said that the company works hard to look for warning signs of serious violence, while protecting the privacy of users.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 2, 2026

The SNP leader set out a range of policies aimed at growing the economy, eradicating child poverty, transitioning to net zero and addressing "the epidemic of violence against women and girls".

From BBC ● Sep. 2, 2026

“The Beverly Hills Police Department remains committed to ensuring the safety of our community and holding those responsible for violence accountable.”

From Los Angeles Times ● Aug. 31, 2026

During the discussion period, one white man went to the microphone and made the dubious claim that cities with such commissions “suffered more violence than Durham.”

From "The Best of Enemies" by Osha Gray Davidson

Related Words

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