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
The silence of the G-20 declaration on this and other jihadi atrocities on the continent is a moral disgrace, revealing the gathering to be a heartless charade that history will judge harshly.
—Paul Tilsley , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 23 Nov. 2025
Walker commended Minaj for using her celebrity platform to speak out on the atrocity.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 22 Nov. 2025
Now Takaichi, a hawkish figure who has previously drawn Beijing’s ire for questioning some of the narratives around imperial Japan’s culpability for its war atrocities, has taken the step of speaking plainly on the Taiwan issue.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
For years, these women carried the weight of unspeakable atrocities while others tried to bury the truth.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
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Paul Tilsley , Efrat Lachter, FOXNews.com, 23 Nov. 2025
Walker commended Minaj for using her celebrity platform to speak out on the atrocity.
—David Zimmermann, The Washington Examiner, 22 Nov. 2025
Now Takaichi, a hawkish figure who has previously drawn Beijing’s ire for questioning some of the narratives around imperial Japan’s culpability for its war atrocities, has taken the step of speaking plainly on the Taiwan issue.
—Simone McCarthy, CNN Money, 21 Nov. 2025
For years, these women carried the weight of unspeakable atrocities while others tried to bury the truth.
—Anna Commander, MSNBC Newsweek, 21 Nov. 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 29 Nov. 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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