Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Characterized by forcefulness of expression or intensity of emotion or conviction; fervid.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Proceeding from or characterized by strength, violence, or impetuosity of feeling or emotion; very ardent; very eager or urgent; fervent; passionate.
  • Acting with great force or energy; energetic; violent; furious; very forcible.
  • Synonyms Impetuous, fiery, burning, hot, fervid, forcible, vigorous, boisterous.

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

  • adjective Acting with great force; furious; violent; impetuous; forcible; mighty.
  • adjective Very ardent; very eager or urgent; very fervent; passionate.

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

  • adjective Showing strong feelings; passionate; forceful or intense.

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

  • adjective marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions; inclined to react violently; fervid
  • adjective characterized by great force or energy

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[Middle English, from Old French, from Latin vehemēns, vehement-, perhaps from vehere, to carry; see wegh- in Indo-European roots.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Latin vehemēns ("impetuous, violent").

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Examples

  • Dave and I were in vehement agreement about a lot of things, and tantamount was the need for the user experience of OpenID authentication to improve.

    Welcoming Facebook to the OpenID Foundation | FactoryCity 2009

  • This is why a certain vehement anti-Catholicism is still alive and well within Protestantism, because those who go to the core of their faith can really only understand it in relation to Catholicism.

    "Protestantism is dangerous. ..." 2009

  • I find myself in vehement disagreement with the the insured's description of the "foam pit dance party."

    Insurance Defense 2006

  • One of the most fascinating predictions of relativity theory is that massive objects in vehement motion emit

    The Nobel Prize in Physics 1993 - Presentation Speech 1997

  • The southern states are loud in vehement threats of secession, if the republican candidate is elected; but their bluster is really lamentably ludicrous, for they are without money, without credit, without power, without character – in short, sans everything, but so many millions of slaves, sans good numbers of whom they would also be the very moment they cut themselves adrift from the protection of the North.

    Further Records, 1848-1883: A Series of Letters 1891

  • His carriage was surrounded by the people, who expressed in vehement cheers their congratulations.

    Major Anderson 1861

  • But so vehement is Madame Duval, that she would instantly have compelled me to attend her to town, in her way to Paris, had not Lady Howard so far exerted herself, as to declare she could by no means consent to my quitting her house, till she gave me up to you, by whose permission I had entered it.

    Evelina: or, The History of a Young Lady's Entrance Into the World 1778

  • Trinity and Incarnation, instead of commanding their silent submission, were agitated in vehement and subtile controversies, which enlarged their faith at the expense, perhaps, of their charity and reason.

    The History of the Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire 1206

  • (1756-93) was first president of the National Convention, beginning his revolutionary career closely tied to Robespierre and ending it in vehement opposition to the Jacobin leader.

    Names 2007

  • His oratory is described as vehement beyond example; so carried away did he become, that he found it necessary to have

    The History of Roman Literature From the earliest period to the death of Marcus Aurelius Charles Thomas Cruttwell 1879

Comments

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  • I often hear people say "We're in VIOLENT agreement." It always struck me as an odd expression. Then I thought they may be using the wrong word and perhaps it should be "VEHEMENT agreement." And then it just spread. Similar to the common misuse of moot with mute.

    What do you think?

    August 7, 2015

  • I have occasionally heard someone use violent this way, but in a self-aware and humorous manner.

    August 7, 2015

  • marked by extreme intensity of emotions or convictions

    While the other employees responded to the bad news in a measured way, Andrew responded in a vehement manner, tipping over his desk and shouting at the top of his lungs.

    October 19, 2016