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
Reports of state atrocities and abuses in Guatemala can be found in U.S. intelligence documents from the 1960s onward.
—Esther Brito Ruiz, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2025
Moreover, summoning the horrors of October 7 only brings into sharper focus the scale of Israel's atrocities.
—Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
Employees of the organization were among the perpetrators of the October 7 atrocities, as even the UN itself has acknowledged; hostages have testified that they were held by UNRWA staff or in UNRWA facilities.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 29 July 2025
On the nightly news, Israelis have scarcely seen the ruins, the atrocities, the outcome of that rage as it has been unleashed for nearly two years.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
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Esther Brito Ruiz, The Conversation, 7 Aug. 2025
Moreover, summoning the horrors of October 7 only brings into sharper focus the scale of Israel's atrocities.
—Alia Brahimi, MSNBC Newsweek, 31 July 2025
Employees of the organization were among the perpetrators of the October 7 atrocities, as even the UN itself has acknowledged; hostages have testified that they were held by UNRWA staff or in UNRWA facilities.
—Yair Rosenberg, The Atlantic, 29 July 2025
On the nightly news, Israelis have scarcely seen the ruins, the atrocities, the outcome of that rage as it has been unleashed for nearly two years.
—David Remnick, New Yorker, 28 July 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 21 Aug. 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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