01
die Brutalität
brutality
The quality of being extremely violent, ruthless, and cruel; cruelty itself.
example
Die Brutalität des Krieges hinterlässt tiefe Spuren bei den Überlebenden.
The brutality of war leaves deep scars on the survivors.
die Brutalität
brutality
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Meanings
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Usage tips
Word formation
The word is derived from the adjective 'brutal' (brutal). The ending '-tät' forms an abstract noun that describes a quality. Such nouns are always feminine, so it is 'die Brutalität' (brutality).
EXAMPLE
Die Brutalität der Tat schockierte die Öffentlichkeit.
The brutality of the act shocked the public.
Countable vs. uncountable
In the singular, 'Brutalität' (brutality) usually describes the general quality of cruelty and is uncountable. In the plural ('Brutalitäten'), the word refers to concrete, individual cruel acts and is countable.
EXAMPLE
Die Polizei ging mit unnötiger Brutalität vor.
The police acted with unnecessary brutality.
Typical collocations
When 'Brutalität' (brutality) describes the general quality, it often appears with a genitive that names the source or context. Examples are 'die Brutalität des Regimes' (the brutality of the regime) or 'die Brutalität eines Angriffs' (the brutality of an attack).
EXAMPLE
Viele Filme zeigen die Brutalität des Verbrechens sehr realistisch.
Many films show the brutality of the crime very realistically.
Compare with
Brutalität vs Gewalt
violence / authority / force
'Gewalt' and 'Brutalität' are close in meaning when it comes to harmful behavior. 'Gewalt' mainly means the use of physical force to injure, harm, or force someone. 'Brutalität' places stronger emphasis on the cruel, ruthless nature of this behavior. You can talk about 'Gewalt' when an act is physical. 'Brutalität' is especially suitable when you want to show how harsh, cruel, or inhuman something was.
Brutalität
Die Brutalität des Angriffs hat viele Menschen schockiert.
The brutality of the attack shocked many people.
Gewalt
Nach dem Streit rief die Nachbarin die Polizei, weil sie Gewalt gehört hatte.
After the argument, the neighbor called the police because she had heard violence.
In real life
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