Crudelity

/kruːˈdɛlɪti/ noun

Definition

An archaic or misspelled form of 'cruelty,' meaning the quality of being cruel, causing suffering, or showing no mercy.

Etymology

From Old French 'crualte' and Latin 'crudelitas,' derived from 'crudelis' (cruel), likely influenced by 'crudeness' in some spellings; this spelling variant is obsolete.

Kelly Says

Medieval writers sometimes spelled 'cruelty' as 'crudelity'—showing how fluid spelling was before dictionaries standardized it in the 1700s!

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