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 former mayor of a small rural village in Haiti, accused of torturing and killing opponents in his homeland, was sentenced Friday in a Massachusetts federal court to nine years in prison for lying about the atrocities in order to obtain a U.S. green card.
—Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025
Hamas’ atrocities on Oct. 7, and their Iranian patrons’ dash toward nuclear weapons, have only strengthened our determination to build a better future for Iran, Israel and the region.
—Shervin Pishevar, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
That commission, set up by then-President Nelson Mandela, attempted to confront the atrocities of apartheid in the years after the system officially ended in 1994.
—Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
War Crimes and the Cost of Normalization Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the global community has documented a harrowing list of atrocities: summary executions in Bucha, mass civilian graves in Mariupol and torture centres in Kherson.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 17 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
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Jacqueline Charles, Miami Herald, 20 June 2025
Hamas’ atrocities on Oct. 7, and their Iranian patrons’ dash toward nuclear weapons, have only strengthened our determination to build a better future for Iran, Israel and the region.
—Shervin Pishevar, New York Daily News, 19 June 2025
That commission, set up by then-President Nelson Mandela, attempted to confront the atrocities of apartheid in the years after the system officially ended in 1994.
—Michelle Gumede, Los Angeles Times, 19 June 2025
War Crimes and the Cost of Normalization Since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, the global community has documented a harrowing list of atrocities: summary executions in Bucha, mass civilian graves in Mariupol and torture centres in Kherson.
—Andy J. Semotiuk, Forbes.com, 17 June 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 30 Jun. 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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