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
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.
He recently spoke with Salon about the struggle to recognize atrocity and confront the powers that seek to justify it.
From Salon
"I travelled on a bipartisan delegation to Nigeria and saw with my own eyes the horrific atrocities Christians face, and the instability the Nigerian government must combat," he said.
From BBC
Evidence provided by Serbia, which has never recognised Kosovo's independence, is particularly sensitive due to the scale of atrocities committed by Serb police and military during the 1998-1999 conflict.
From Barron's
Over the years, “Here Lies Love” has been criticized as insensitive to the Filipino community in its perceived glamorization of Imelda and minimization of the atrocities committed by the Marcos regime.
From Los Angeles Times
"Our reporting provides credible information on atrocities and human rights trends at a time when truth is being eroded by disinformation and censorship," he told diplomats at the UN rights office headquarters in Geneva.
From Barron's
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.
