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

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Etymology

Origin of violence

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

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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

Founded in 2006, 2nd Call has sought to mediate gang disputes and provide alternatives to violence in the community.

From Los Angeles Times ● Nov. 6, 2026

Miller said the violence did not represent most people in Meadow Well.

From BBC ● Nov. 6, 2026

"Nobody was prepared for the swiftness or the violence of the pivot," Tu Le of Sino Auto Insights told AFP.

From Barron's ● Nov. 6, 2026

Mr. Gordon rightly notes that “restarting the refinery alone wouldn’t resolve the territory’s financial crisis,” but he avoids a discussion of violence in the U.S.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Nov. 5, 2026

It was during the Red Summer that African Americans began to organize and fight back against white violence and oppression.

From "1919 The Year That Changed America" by Martin W. Sandler

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Related Words

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

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