immanity

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English

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Etymology

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From Latin immānitās.

Noun

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immanity (countable and uncountable, plural immanities)

  1. (obsolete) Great size; enormousness, hugeness.
  2. (obsolete) Outrageous cruelty or savagery; enormity.
    • 1624, Democritus Junior [pseudonym; Robert Burton], The Anatomy of Melancholy: [], 2nd edition, Oxford, Oxfordshire: Printed by John Lichfield and James Short, for Henry Cripps, →OCLC, partition 2, section 1, member 4, subsection 2:
      ‘Barbarous immanity’ (Melancthon terms it) ‘and folly to be deplored, so to contemn the percepts of health []
    • 1647 May 15 (Gregorian calendar), James Howell, “XV. To Sir K. D. at Paris.”, in [Epistolæ Ho-Elianæ.] A Third Volume of Familiar Letters of a Fresher Date. [], 3rd edition, volume III, London: [] Humphrey Mos[e]ley, [], published 1655, →OCLC, section, page 25:
      [H]ad you ſtaid, you would have taken but little comfort in your life, in regard that ever ſince ther have bin the fearfulleſt diſtractions here that ever happen'd upon any part of the earth, a Beluin kind of immanity never rag'd ſo among men, inſomuch that the whole Countrey might have taken its appellation from the ſmalleſt part thereof, and be call'd the Iſle of Dogs; for all humanity, common honeſty, and that Manſuetude with other Moral Civilities which ſhould diſtinguiſh the rational Creature from other Animals, have been loſt here a good while; []