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
Additionally, it was feared that acknowledgment of Khmer Rouge atrocities would validate the U.S. military endeavors in Indochina, which many people — especially leading scholars — had come to excoriate.
—Ray Cavanaugh, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
Such eye-opening depictions of 19th and 20th-century atrocities, much like the contemporary accounts on the issue of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women, are not merely instructive, but necessary.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
This aimed to coordinate Justice Department efforts to hold Russian leadership accountable for atrocities committed following Putin's full-scale invasion.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
For Students for Justice in Palestine to gather on the memorial of that day to honor Hamas terrorists who died after committing unspeakable atrocities should be horrifying to any empathetic person.
—Ellia M Torkian, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 Mar. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
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Ray Cavanaugh, Chicago Tribune, 3 Apr. 2025
Such eye-opening depictions of 19th and 20th-century atrocities, much like the contemporary accounts on the issue of Missing or Murdered Indigenous Women, are not merely instructive, but necessary.
—Joe Leydon, Variety, 28 Mar. 2025
This aimed to coordinate Justice Department efforts to hold Russian leadership accountable for atrocities committed following Putin's full-scale invasion.
—David Faris, Newsweek, 17 Mar. 2025
For Students for Justice in Palestine to gather on the memorial of that day to honor Hamas terrorists who died after committing unspeakable atrocities should be horrifying to any empathetic person.
—Ellia M Torkian, San Diego Union-Tribune, 6 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 8 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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