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 evening news reported on atrocities committed by Russian forces in Chechnya and on corruption schemes that implicated top officials in the Kremlin.
—Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge atrocities in the late 1970s were recognized as genocide against the Cham and Vietnamese minorities, with convictions at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
The film centers on American psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), who is tasked with determining whether Nazi prisoners are fit to stand trial for their atrocities and finds himself in a complex battle of wits with former Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), Hitler’s right-hand man.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Advocates for repeal say the sanctions regime is out of date, as it was passed by Congress to address Assad’s crimes against civilians, from torture to extrajudicial killings, disappearances, chemical weapons use and other atrocities.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 18 Sep. 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Joshua Yaffa, New Yorker, 26 Sep. 2025
Cambodia’s Khmer Rouge atrocities in the late 1970s were recognized as genocide against the Cham and Vietnamese minorities, with convictions at the Extraordinary Chambers in the Courts of Cambodia.
—Faisal Kutty, MSNBC Newsweek, 25 Sep. 2025
The film centers on American psychiatrist Douglas Kelley (Rami Malek), who is tasked with determining whether Nazi prisoners are fit to stand trial for their atrocities and finds himself in a complex battle of wits with former Reichsmarschall Hermann Göring (Russell Crowe), Hitler’s right-hand man.
—Anthony D'alessandro, Deadline, 25 Sep. 2025
Advocates for repeal say the sanctions regime is out of date, as it was passed by Congress to address Assad’s crimes against civilians, from torture to extrajudicial killings, disappearances, chemical weapons use and other atrocities.
—Laura Kelly, The Hill, 18 Sep. 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 Sep. 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
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share