1. extreme cruelty or brutality
2. the state of being uncivilized or primitive

Examples

• The barbarity of the attack shocked the entire community.
• Historical accounts describe the barbarity of ancient warfare.
• She couldn’t understand the barbarity of treating animals so cruelly.
• The documentary exposed the barbarity of the prison conditions.
• Many viewed the tribe’s customs as signs of barbarity rather than cultural difference.
• The barbarity of the dictator’s regime was well documented.
• Witnesses testified about the barbarity they had witnessed during the conflict.