atrocity
noun
atroc·i·ty
ə-ˈträ-sə-tē 
plural atrocities
1
: a shockingly bad or atrocious act, object, or situation
the atrocities of war
2
: the quality or state of being atrocious
… the paralysing atrocity of the thought which occupied her.—
Joseph Conrad
Joseph ConradExamples of atrocity in a Sentence
Atrocities were committed by forces on both sides of the conflict.
Who could be capable of such atrocity?
Recent Examples on the Web
Intentionally or not, these gestures and statements normalize racial hatred, which is the prologue to the kind of racial violence that led to some of humanity’s worst atrocities.
—Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025
These are war crimes, and no amount of justification in the name of previous atrocities can change that reality.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
The group, which has grown to over 700 in all segments of film and TV and organized screenings of unedited footage of atrocities that Hamas terrorists took on October 7, sent a fiery letter this morning to the organizers of Artists4Ceasefire.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2025
Prosecutors in Ukraine have been collecting evidence of the atrocities perpetrated by Russia, with over 153,000 cases of war crimes reported and being investigated so far, and several criminal trials initiated across Ukraine.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
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Andres Oppenheimer, Miami Herald, 26 Feb. 2025
These are war crimes, and no amount of justification in the name of previous atrocities can change that reality.
—Ross Rosenfeld, Newsweek, 25 Feb. 2025
The group, which has grown to over 700 in all segments of film and TV and organized screenings of unedited footage of atrocities that Hamas terrorists took on October 7, sent a fiery letter this morning to the organizers of Artists4Ceasefire.
—Mike Fleming Jr, Deadline, 24 Feb. 2025
Prosecutors in Ukraine have been collecting evidence of the atrocities perpetrated by Russia, with over 153,000 cases of war crimes reported and being investigated so far, and several criminal trials initiated across Ukraine.
—Dr. Ewelina U. Ochab, Forbes, 23 Feb. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrocity. Accessed 5 Mar. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
atrocity
noun
atroc·i·ty
ə-ˈträs-ət-ē
plural atrocities
1
: the quality or state of being atrocious
2
: something that is atrocious
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