atrocity

noun

atroc·​i·​ty ə-ˈträ-sə-tē How to pronounce atrocity (audio)
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

Examples 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 During World War II, Nazi atrocities happened on its soil. Claire Moses, New York Times, 1 Mar. 2024 But Garrone is concerned with something that often escapes the headlines and statistics: the on-the-ground atrocities migrants endure to even reach that point of departure, including the traversing of a desert. Carlos Aguilar, Los Angeles Times, 23 Feb. 2024 Despite the evidence, photographs, films, and museums dedicated to ensuring people never forget the horrific atrocities that took place during the Holocaust, there are still those who intentionally circulate falsities on social media outlets in the hopes of intentionally misleading people. Tyler Gildin, Parents, 17 Feb. 2024 More than any other country, the United States can prevent its close ally from continuing to commit atrocities. Agnès Callamard, Foreign Affairs, 15 Feb. 2024 While certainly no excuse for his behavior as an adult, one is to believe Ike saw and experienced racial atrocities while growing up. Rick Mauch, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 8 Feb. 2024 The Pulitzer Prize-winning work examines and condemns U.S. inaction on various atrocities, from Armenia to Rwanda, spanning several presidential administrations. John Hudson, Washington Post, 31 Jan. 2024 Friedel is at the center of the exterminating European Jews, and his family tries to ignore the sounds of screams, cries, gunshots, and atrocities taking place on the other side of the wall. Monica Mercuri, Forbes, 19 Feb. 2024 Likewise, 85% of Palestinians had not seen videos of Hamas atrocities, such as killing women and children in their homes – many taken from Hamas fighters’ own body cameras – which have been daily fare for Israelis and stoked broad public support for the fight in Gaza. Scott Peterson, The Christian Science Monitor, 5 Feb. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'atrocity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

see atrocious

First Known Use

1534, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Time Traveler
The first known use of atrocity was in 1534

Dictionary Entries Near atrocity

Cite this Entry

“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrocity. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

atrocity

noun
atroc·​i·​ty ə-ˈträs-ət-ē How to pronounce atrocity (audio)
plural atrocities
1
: the quality or state of being atrocious
2
: something that is atrocious

More from Merriam-Webster on atrocity

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