Brute-Force
/ˈbruːt fɔːrs/noun
Done by sheer strength or overwhelming effort rather than skill or subtlety.
Did you know?The word combines Latin-derived *brute* with an old Germanic word for strength, and in computing it became the term for trying every possible key—pure ritual persistence, no magic required.
Etymological Timeline
Latin
Latin
brutus
“dull, stupid, heavy; also unrefined”
Old French
Old French
brut
“rough, raw, unpolished”
Old English
English
force
“strength, power, violence”
Late 19th Century
English
brute force
“raw physical strength or violent power”
20th Century
English
brute-force
“a method using overwhelming effort or exhaustive trial-and-error, especially in computing”