Survey data show that most Tanzanian women find wife-beating justifiable. What is the meaning of the violence that enjoys such broad social approval? Does respect for women’s agency invalidate feminist opposition to wife-beating? I explore these questions by analyzing data on hegemonic norms generated through 27 focus group discussions in Arumeru and Kigoma-Vijijini districts, and find that wife-beating was supported for its role in constituting social order. This analysis of how exactly violence can constitute order yielded insights into the interplay between violence and consent that are theoretically relevant to violence against women in other forms and contexts, reminding researchers and practitioners of the role of power and coercion in supposedly agreed-upon community norms.