noun, na-adjective
Describes extreme cruelty or barbaric acts, often in historical, political, or literary contexts. Used as a noun or adjectival noun (with な).
その独裁者の残虐無道な行為は歴史に刻まれている。
The dictator's atrocious acts are etched in history.
戦争の残虐無道を語り継ぐことが大切だ。
It is important to pass down the inhumanity of war.
A yojijukugo (four-character compound) combining 残虐 (cruelty) and 無道 (lawlessness, immorality). The exact historical origin is uncertain, but it follows classical Chinese patterns of compounding.