noun

brutality

broo-TA-lih-tee

noun

The quality of being savagely violent or cruel.

"The sheer brutality of the assault shocked the town."

"Reports documented the brutality of the regime's crackdown."

An act of excessive, cruel force, especially by police or authorities.

"The footage showed clear evidence of police brutality."

"Campaigners are demanding an inquiry into the brutality shown in the video."

How to Use Brutality

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishExtreme, often violent cruelty.

Common pairings

police brutality sheer brutality acts of brutality

brutalities plural

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The sheer _____ of the assault shocked the town.

Built from brutal plus the noun-forming suffix -ity, tracing back to the same Latin brutus (\"dull, stupid\") root.

city pity deity unity entity equity nudity oddity enmity uppity vanity cavity