noun
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behaviour or an action that is wicked or ruthless
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the fact or quality of being atrocious
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(usually plural) acts of extreme cruelty, esp against prisoners or civilians in wartime
Etymology
Origin of atrocity
1525–35; < Latin atrōcitās, equivalent to atrōci- (stem of atrōx ) fierce + -tās -ty 2
Explanation
Atrocities, acts of outrageous cruelty, are often committed during wars and armed conflicts. The word atrocity describes both the act of cruelty as well as the sense of cruelty. If you go to visit a poorly run prison, you might be overwhelmed by the atrocity of the place when you see that no one is treated with respect, and torture is rampant. The word atrocity is also often used in the context of warfare and frequently as a plural. There were numerous atrocities on both sides, as the war raged on and the fighters’ capacity for cruelty seemed to increase.
Vocabulary lists containing atrocity
The Things They Carried
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This Week in Words : December 23 - 29, 2017
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The Hate U Give
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Our collective attention has been framed as an essential guardrail against atrocity and abuse of power.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 12, 2026
There was a kind of macabre joke in living as a reminder of historical atrocity.
From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 18, 2026
He recently spoke with Salon about the struggle to recognize atrocity and confront the powers that seek to justify it.
From Salon • Feb. 25, 2026
"In contrast, I was cancelled because my presence and identity as a Palestinian was deemed 'culturally insensitive' and linked to the Bondi atrocity," her statement continued.
From BBC • Jan. 12, 2026
I think again and again of a story we read last year by Ursula Le Guin about a utopian city whose bliss can only exist because of its one horrifying atrocity.
From "Internment" by Samira Ahmed
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
