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destructiveness

Definitions

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun The quality of being destructive; tendency to destroy or ruin.
  • noun In phrenology, the tendency to destroy or overthrow, supposed to be located in a special organ of the brain. See cut under phrenology.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun The quality of destroying or ruining.
  • noun (Phren.) The faculty supposed to impel to the commission of acts of destruction; propensity to destroy.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun the state or quality of being destructive

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun the quality of causing destruction

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

destructive +‎ -ness

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Examples

  • And Maud's, face brightened; for destructiveness is one of the earliest traits of childhood, and ripping was Maud's delight.

    An Old-Fashioned Girl 1950

  • English skulls; and the sagacious Mr. Combe has placed this organ at the back of the head, in juxtaposition to that of destructiveness, which is equally large among our countrymen, as is notably evinced upon all railings, seats, temples, and other things-belonging to other people.

    Paul Clifford — Volume 01 Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838

  • It is said that the organ of carving upon wood is prominently developed on all English skulls; and the sagacious Mr. Combe has placed this organ at the back of the head, in juxtaposition to that of destructiveness, which is equally large among our countrymen, as is notably evinced upon all railings, seats, temples, and other things-belonging to other people.

    Paul Clifford — Complete Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838

  • However, their claim in the abstract and in the quote above about "hurricane destructiveness" is not shown by a correlation with , as that does not measure "destructiveness".

    PDI: Elsner « Climate Audit 2006

  • This kind of destructiveness is a false passage into a world of pseudo-communication.

    A Renegade Psychiatrist's Story Rosenfels, Paul 1979

  • Uncle Davy must have had the organ of "destructiveness" pretty fully developed, for fowls, as well as "animils" and "sarpunts," were "smashed up" by him, as may be gathered from

    Fisher's River (North Carolina) Scenes and Characters 1859

  • In her character, what phrenologists call "destructiveness," in the comprehensive sense of the word, was superlatively developed.

    Lucretia — Volume 02 Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838

  • In her character, what phrenologists call "destructiveness," in the comprehensive sense of the word, was superlatively developed.

    Lucretia — Complete Edward Bulwer Lytton Lytton 1838

  • "destructiveness" to upset one's mental equilibrium.

    The Reminiscences of an Astronomer Simon Newcomb 1872

  • "destructiveness" which characterises the Badawi: he is "keen for satire as a thirsty man for water:" and half his poetry seems to consist of foul innuendo, of lampoons, and of gross personal abuse.

    Arabian nights. English Anonymous 1855

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