Violences

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. The acts of inflicting physical harm or injury upon others
2. The use of force to achieve a specific outcome, often resulting in pain or suffering
3. Actions characterized by aggression and brutality, typically breaching a code of conduct or law

Etymology: "Violences" is simply the plural of "violence," so its history is that of the base word. English took "violence" from Old French, which had itself borrowed it from Latin "violentia," meaning "vehemence" or "impetuosity." That Latin noun was built from "violentus," "violent," with the suffix "-ia" added, and "violentus" in turn was tied to "vis," "force" or "strength." The Latin root therefore carried the sense of raw force before it came to mean harm done to people. English did not start with this word for the job. It displaced the native Old English term "stræc," a word that also meant force or violence, and the Latin-derived form took its place in Middle English. Using the plural "violences" simply counts separate acts of brutality, each one a distinct instance of the force the Latin noun once described in general.

Synonyms: assaults, attacks, furies, brutalities, hostilities

Antonyms: peaces, calms, tranquilities, harmonies, pacifisms