with the meaning of "love of cruelty". It derived from the title of Donatien Alphonse François, Marquis de Sade, as he was notorious for engaging in cruel sexual acts that he would come to glorify in his novels.

The word sadism is often used casually to denote the enjoyment or the willingness to engage in cruel acts.

As a concept in psychology

Sadism is also used in psychological contexts, albeit in its more extreme forms, such as in criminal or sexual contexts. Psychologists

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