Violent
/ˈvaɪə.lənt/noun
Using or involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill.
Did you know?The word ultimately comes from Latin *violentus*, tied to *vis* meaning “force,” a root that also lives on in words like *visit* and *vision* through older Indo-European pathways of “seeing” and “force.”
Etymological Timeline
Proto-Indo-European
PIE
*weyh₁-
“to chase after, pursue, strive for”
Latin
Latin
vis
“force, strength, violence”
Latin
Latin
violentus
“vehement, forceful, violent”
Old French
Old French
violent
“violent, forceful, fierce”
Middle English
English
violent
“acting with great force or fury”
Modern English
English
violent
“using or involving physical force intended to hurt, damage, or kill”