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
Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing has been fighting a multi-front war against pro-democracy fighters and ethnic armed groups after seizing power in 2021, with credible and widespread reports of atrocities against the people.
—Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Who knew that combining a sweet story about an adorable penguin and one about the atrocities of a political uprising in 1976 Argentina could have such charm?
—Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 31 Mar. 2025
Just as the reports and images of atrocities committed against innocent Israelis horrifies me, the images of dead, mangled, and psychologically traumatized children haunt me as a mother and grandmother.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Buying a ticket to Sachs’ film has become a form of political expression for the many Jews who feel the inciting atrocities of October 7 have been too easily forgotten and that American culture and media has not done enough to speak out against antisemitism.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
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Ross Adkin, CNN Money, 4 Apr. 2025
Who knew that combining a sweet story about an adorable penguin and one about the atrocities of a political uprising in 1976 Argentina could have such charm?
—Rosemary Rossi, Variety, 31 Mar. 2025
Just as the reports and images of atrocities committed against innocent Israelis horrifies me, the images of dead, mangled, and psychologically traumatized children haunt me as a mother and grandmother.
—Ron Estes, MSNBC Newsweek, 28 Mar. 2025
Buying a ticket to Sachs’ film has become a form of political expression for the many Jews who feel the inciting atrocities of October 7 have been too easily forgotten and that American culture and media has not done enough to speak out against antisemitism.
—Steven Zeitchik, HollywoodReporter, 27 Mar. 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 22 Apr. 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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