atrocity

[uh-tros-i-tee]

noun

plural

atrocities 

1. the quality or state of being atrocious.

2. an atrocious act, thing, or circumstance.

atrocity

/ əˈtrɒsɪtɪ /

noun

1. behaviour or an action that is wicked or ruthless

2. the fact or quality of being atrocious

3. (usually plural) acts of extreme cruelty, esp against prisoners or civilians in wartime

Word History and Origins

Origin of atrocity¹

1525–35; < Latin atrōcitās, equivalent to atrōci- (stem of atrōx ) fierce + -tās -ty ²

Example Sentences

The firm said it condemned the Nazi regime's "atrocities" and acknowledged the new findings "may not have been fully explored in previous research".

From BBC

But the scale of the carnage is much bigger and unrelenting in Gaza, where atrocities continue without letup, while the world looks on.

From Salon

They have also criticised Facebook's parent company Meta, saying it allows users on its platform to turn the atrocity into an "emotional game".

From BBC

Sentencing the teenager at the High Court in Glasgow, judge Lord Arthurson said he had planned a "quite diabolical atrocity".

From BBC

Throughout the war, the Emergency Lawyers group has documented atrocities by both the army and the RSF.

From BBC

Related Words

• barbarity 
• brutality 
• crime 
• evil 
• horror 
• inhumanity