Definition of violence | Collins English Dictionary

violence (ˈvaɪələns)

the exercise or an instance of physical force, usually effecting or intended to effect injuries, destruction, etc
powerful, untamed, or devastating force ⇒ the violence of the sea
great strength of feeling, as in language, etc; fervour
an unjust, unwarranted, or unlawful display of force, esp such as tends to overawe or intimidate
See do violence to

C13: via Old French from Latin violentia impetuosity, from violentusviolent

View thesaurus entry

British English: violence Violence is behaviour which is intended to hurt or kill people.Twenty people were injured in the violence.ˈvaɪələns NOUN Twenty people were injured in the violence.
Spanish: violencia nf
French: violence nf
German: Gewalt nf
Chinese: 暴力 n
Arabic: عُنْف n
Portuguese: violência nf
Russian: насилие nnt
Croatian: nasilje nnt
Czech: násilí nnt
Danish: vold nutr
Dutch: geweld nnt
Finnish: väkivalta n
Greek: βία nf
Italian: violenza nf
Japanese: 暴力 n
Korean: 폭력 n
Norwegian: vold npl
Polish: przemoc nf
Brazilian Portuguese: violência nf
European Spanish: violencia nf
Swedish: våld nnt
Thai: ความรุนแรง n
Turkish: şiddet n
Vietnamese: tính bạo lực n

The neighbor, Maggie Forrest, was involved in a television discussion about domestic violence.
Peter Robinson, AFTERMATH (2001)
Unlike their Basque cousins, the rise of nationalism, since the death of Franco, has never manifested itself through violence.
Country Life (2005)
He says he has no difficulty with people commemorating the dead or the victims of violence during 30 years of conflict.
Irish Times (2002)
One Sighthill resident, who did not wish to be named, spoke of her disgust at the violence.
Glasgow Herald (2001)
As if cruelty and violence have ever stood in the way of rebellions - if anything, they feed them.
Alma Alexander, THE SECRETS OF JIN-SHEI (2004)