Definition

Noun: 1. A brutal, savage, or cruel act: An extremely violent or cruel action that shows a complete lack of civilization or humanity. 2. The condition of being primitive, uncivilized, or lacking culture: The state of being barbarous; absence of culture, refinement, or enlightenment. 3. A word or expression that is considered incorrect or non-standard within a language: In linguistics, a word or phrase that violates the accepted norms or rules of a language.

Examples

1. Referring to a cruel act:
   • The bombing of civilian areas was an act of pure barbarism.
   • History is filled with examples of war and barbarism.
2. Referring to a primitive state:
   • They viewed the tribe's simple lifestyle not as barbarism, but as a different form of society.
   • The conquerors accused the local population of barbarism to justify their rule.
3. Referring to a non-standard word:
   • Using "ain't" was once considered a grammatical barbarism by strict teachers.
   • The linguist argued that calling regional dialects "barbarisms" was itself an ignorant stance.

Advanced Usage

• "The barbarism of war": A phrase used to emphasize the inherent cruelty and savagery of warfare.
  • The novel does not glorify battle but instead exposes the barbarism of war.
• "Sink into barbarism": To decline or regress into a state of uncivilized behavior or chaos.
  • Some feared the economic collapse would cause society to sink into barbarism.

Variants and Related Words

• Barbarian (noun): A person perceived as primitive, uncivilized, or brutally cruel.
  • The Roman Empire fought against tribes they called barbarians.
• Barbarous (adjective): Extremely cruel; primitive and uncivilized.
  • The barbarous treatment of prisoners was condemned.
• Barbaric (adjective): Savagely cruel; also sometimes used to describe something as primitive or uncultured.
  • The barbaric practice was outlawed centuries ago.

Synonyms

• Savagery: The quality of being fierce or cruel.
• Atrocity: An extremely wicked or cruel act.
• Cruelty: Willful infliction of pain or suffering.
• Primitiveness: The quality of being at an early stage of development.

Related Phrases

• Acts of barbarism: A common collocation for describing specific cruel actions.
  • The report documented numerous acts of barbarism committed during the conflict.

Related Idioms

• A return to barbarism: Used to criticize a perceived decline in civilized standards or behavior.
  • The critic said the new policy was a return to barbarism.

Noun

1. a brutal barbarous savage act