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 ConradSynonyms
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
Jordan’s Queen Rania cast doubt in a CNN interview on whether Hamas really committed atrocities on Oct. 7.
—Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
At this moment, while gang members are currently committing atrocities, talking about amnesty would encourage further crimes—and would be an insult to their victims.
—Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
Hiroyuki Shinju, a lawyer, noted Japan and Germany also carried out wartime atrocities, even as the nuclear threat grows around the world.
—Yuri Kageyama, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar. 2024
While the brutal legacy of slavery is undeniably a central pillar, the scope of reparations extends far beyond this singular atrocity.
—Britney Porter, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
United States officials said the atrocity was the work of Islamic State-Khorosan, or ISIS-K, an offshoot of the group that has been active in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
—Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Otherwise, [we] all know the atrocities of the Australian soldiers in Afghanistan who killed innocent children and women.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
Toward the end of October, the Israeli army attacked Hamas in Gaza, determined to wipe it out forever so that an atrocity like this will never happen again.
—Richard Trank, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
On the surface, the atrocities against indigenous people at the heart of Flower Moon have very little to do with the 19th-century romantic disappointment of The Heiress.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Mar. 2024
Benjamin Weinthal, Fox News, 4 Apr. 2024
At this moment, while gang members are currently committing atrocities, talking about amnesty would encourage further crimes—and would be an insult to their victims.
—Pierre Esperance, Foreign Affairs, 2 Apr. 2024
Hiroyuki Shinju, a lawyer, noted Japan and Germany also carried out wartime atrocities, even as the nuclear threat grows around the world.
—Yuri Kageyama, The Christian Science Monitor, 29 Mar. 2024
While the brutal legacy of slavery is undeniably a central pillar, the scope of reparations extends far beyond this singular atrocity.
—Britney Porter, Forbes, 27 Mar. 2024
United States officials said the atrocity was the work of Islamic State-Khorosan, or ISIS-K, an offshoot of the group that has been active in Pakistan, Afghanistan and Iran.
—Ivan Nechepurenko, New York Times, 23 Mar. 2024
Otherwise, [we] all know the atrocities of the Australian soldiers in Afghanistan who killed innocent children and women.
—Ben Morse, CNN, 20 Mar. 2024
Toward the end of October, the Israeli army attacked Hamas in Gaza, determined to wipe it out forever so that an atrocity like this will never happen again.
—Richard Trank, The Hollywood Reporter, 13 Mar. 2024
On the surface, the atrocities against indigenous people at the heart of Flower Moon have very little to do with the 19th-century romantic disappointment of The Heiress.
—Maureen Lee Lenker, EW.com, 9 Mar. 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.
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Dictionary Entries Near atrocity
Cite this Entry
“Atrocity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/atrocity. Accessed 18 Apr. 2024.
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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