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
Throughout, the novel chips away at its foundational questions: Does there exist a punishment equal to the atrocity of killing one’s child?
—The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The story of the atrocity is still being unearthed 140 years later.
—Stephen Miller, Bluesky Social, 5 June 2025
Yet, instead of universal outrage, attempts to justify this atrocity have already begun — as if these cold-blooded murders can somehow be rationalized by events in Gaza thousands of miles away.
—Laurence Milstein, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Both sides would commit atrocities during the war, and loyalists were far from passive victims.
—Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 June 2025
See All Example Sentences for atrocity
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The New Yorker, New Yorker, 9 June 2025
The story of the atrocity is still being unearthed 140 years later.
—Stephen Miller, Bluesky Social, 5 June 2025
Yet, instead of universal outrage, attempts to justify this atrocity have already begun — as if these cold-blooded murders can somehow be rationalized by events in Gaza thousands of miles away.
—Laurence Milstein, Sun Sentinel, 4 June 2025
Both sides would commit atrocities during the war, and loyalists were far from passive victims.
—Greg Daugherty, Smithsonian Magazine, 4 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 17 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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