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
Other Word Forms
Noun Inflected Forms
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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The Hate U Give
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This Week in Words : December 23 - 29, 2017
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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.
See Examples For:
"This atrocity was a defining moment for America and your pain and shock were felt around the whole world," Charles told the US Congress on Tuesday.
From Barron's ● Apr. 29, 2026
This atrocity was a defining moment for America and your pain and shock were felt around the whole world.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Apr. 28, 2026
It’s important to debunk this genetic stuff as we now live in a genomic age in which science has been used to justify all sorts of atrocity.
From Salon ● Apr. 23, 2026
There was a kind of macabre joke in living as a reminder of historical atrocity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Mar. 18, 2026
“I’m sorry you feel that way. I feel terrible about what happened. I assure you the atrocity was unintentional.”
From "Fablehaven" by Brandon Mull
Established in 2002, the ICC prosecutes individuals accused of the gravest atrocities, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.
From Barron's ● Jul. 13, 2026
Shortly after the capture of el-Fasher, RSF leader Gen Mohamed Hamdan Dagalo said the group was investigating any atrocities.
From BBC ● Jul. 8, 2026
We need to be reminded of such atrocities.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 18, 2026
This was the real-life version of a mindless doomscroll, when all of the world’s atrocities barely register.
From Salon ● Apr. 25, 2026
It was a museum used for propaganda displays of various kinds—scale models of rocket bombs and Floating Fortresses, waxwork tableaux illustrating enemy atrocities, and the like.
From "1984" by George Orwell
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.
