Master confusing words with ease
Barbarism vs. Barbarity
Barbarism
/ˈbɑːbərɪzəm/Examples:
The novel highlights linguistic barbarisms of the colonizers.She criticized the architectural barbarism in the city planning.Historians debated the cultural barbarism of ancient rituals.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Barbarity
/bɑːˈbarɪti/Examples:
The dictator was known for his acts of sheer barbarity.Historians exposed the barbarity of ancient battle tactics.The film depicted the barbarity of life in the war-torn region.
Synonyms:
Antonyms:
Ways to tell them apart:
- Barbarism and barbarity both relate to uncivilized or brutal behavior, but they are used in different contexts.
- Barbarism often refers to the use of incorrect or nonstandard language, while barbarity speaks to the quality of being extremely cruel or brutal.
- Remember, -ism often relates to practices or systems (like language), whereas -ity refers to a state or condition (like cruelty).
- If you’re talking about language mistakes, barbarism is your word; if it’s about acts of cruelty, barbarity fits.
- While they share a root word, barbarism is usually more about errors or nonconformity, and barbarity is about actions.
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