Auschwitz

American  

[oush-vits] / ˈaʊʃ vɪts /

noun

1. a town in SW Poland: site of Nazi concentration camp during World War II.

---

Auschwitz British  

/ ˈauʃvɪts /

noun

1. Polish name: Oświęcim.  an industrial town in S Poland; site of a Nazi concentration camp during World War II. Pop: 40 686 (2007 est)

---

Auschwitz Cultural  

1. An infamous concentration camp established by the Nazis in Poland. (See Holocaust.)

---

Example Sentences

When the German philosopher Theodor W. Adorno doubted the possibility of poetry after Auschwitz, Celan replied with the asperity of one who knew where barbarism had lodged.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jun. 5, 2026

A younger student gave her “Man’s Search for Meaning” by Viktor E. Frankl, who described how he had survived Auschwitz partly by realizing that other inmates needed his help.

From The Wall Street Journal • May 14, 2026

Florence Miailhe’s oil-painted memory play tells of Alfred Nakache, a French swimmer of Algerian Jewish descent who finished ahead of Nazi competitors at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin, joined the Resistance and survived Auschwitz.

From Los Angeles Times • Feb. 16, 2026

In a speech that left some MPs visibly moved, 87-year-old Friedman recounted her experiences as a survivor of the Auschwitz extermination camp and appealed on those present to "use your power to fight".

From Barron's • Jan. 28, 2026

Would you rock the boat and speak out, or would you remain silent, as the people of Auschwitz did?

From "The Freedom Writers Diary" by The Freedom Writers