CRUELTY, noun [Latin] 1. Inhumanity; a savage or barbarous disposition or temper, which is gratified in giving unnecessary pain or distress to others; barbarity; applied to persons; as the cruelty of savages; the cruelty and envy of the people. 2. Barbarous deed; any act of a human being which inflicts unnecessary pain; any act intended to torment, vex or afflict, or which actually torments or afflicts, without necessity; wrong; injustice; oppression. With force and with cruelty have ye ruled them. Ezekiel 34:4.
Source: Webster's 1828 American Dictionary ↗ · public-domain · returned verbatim, no AI