Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary · 1913

Violent

Violent , adjective

[French, from Latin violentus, from vis strength, force; probably akin to Greek {not transcribed} a muscle, strength.]

1.
Moving or acting with physical strength; urged or impelled with force; excited by strong feeling or passion; forcible; vehement; impetuous; fierce; furious; severe; as, a violent blow; the violent attack of a disease.
Float upon a wild and violent sea. — Shakespeare
A violent cross wind from either coast. — Milton
2.
Acting, characterized, or produced by unjust or improper force; outrageous; unauthorized; as, a violent attack on the right of free speech.
To bring forth more violent deeds. — Milton
Some violent hands were laid on Humphrey's life. — Shakespeare
3.
Produced or effected by force; not spontaneous; unnatural; abnormal.
These violent delights have violent ends. — Shakespeare
No violent state can be perpetual. — T. Burnet
Ease would recant Vows made in pain, as violent and void. — Milton
Collocations (2)
Violent presumption (Law) , presumption of a fact that arises from proof of circumstances which necessarily attend such facts.
Violent profits (Scots Law) , rents or profits of an estate obtained by a tenant wrongfully holding over after warning. They are recoverable in a process of removing.

Violent , noun

An assailant. [Obsolete] — Dr. H. More

Violent , transitive verb

[Compare French violenter.]

To urge with violence. [Obsolete] — Fuller

Violent , intransitive verb

To be violent; to act violently. [Obsolete]
The grief is fine, full, perfect, that I taste, And violenteth in a sense as strong As that which causeth it. — Shakespeare