atrocity

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/əˈtrɒsəti/
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A word for a shockingly cruel act, and in international-law contexts for a very grave mass crime.
Practice using atrocity in conversation until it feels natural

Examples

  • Calling a minor mistake an atrocity would be an exaggeration.
  • The massacre was remembered as an atrocity.
  • War crimes and crimes against humanity can be forms of atrocity crime.
  • The report described acts of shocking atrocity against civilians.
  • The museum documents the atrocity so it will not be forgotten.

Similar words

genocide
war crime
atrocity crime
massacre
horror
crime against humanity
barbarity
cruelty
inhuman act
grave international crime

Meanings

Extremely cruel act

noun
political
formal
An extremely cruel, shocking, or inhumane act, especially against people who cannot defend themselves.

Examples

  • The massacre was remembered as an atrocity.
  • The report described acts of shocking atrocity against civilians.
  • Survivors testified about the atrocities they had witnessed.
  • The museum documents the atrocity so it will not be forgotten.
  • Calling a minor mistake an atrocity would be an exaggeration.

Similar words

outrage
horror
cruelty
barbarity
brutality
massacre
inhuman act

Mass international crime

noun
legal
technical
In legal and political contexts, a grave international crime such as genocide, a war crime, or a crime against humanity.

Examples

  • The tribunal investigated alleged atrocity crimes.
  • Genocide is often discussed as a mass atrocity crime.
  • The framework helps identify risks of future atrocities.
  • War crimes and crimes against humanity can be forms of atrocity crime.
  • Officials warned that hate propaganda can increase the risk of atrocities.

Similar words

atrocity crime
mass atrocity
grave international crime
war crime
crime against humanity
genocide

Etymology

From Latin atrox, meaning cruel, fierce, or terrible. The modern word keeps the idea of extreme cruelty.

FAQ

What does atrocity mean?

It means an extremely cruel, shocking, or inhumane act.

What is an atrocity crime?

It is a grave international crime, such as genocide, a war crime, or a crime against humanity.

Is atrocity the same as genocide?

No. Genocide can be a type of atrocity crime, but atrocity is broader.

Can atrocity be used for a small mistake?

Only as obvious exaggeration. In serious use, it is a very strong word.

What is the plural of atrocity?

The plural is atrocities.

What is a synonym for atrocity?

Synonyms include outrage, horror, cruelty, barbarity, brutality, and inhuman act.

How do you use atrocity in a sentence?

For example: Survivors testified about the atrocities they had witnessed.

Comments & contributions

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Fresh Cardinal
Jul 15
Had to look up why it is not atrocicity, English really does this to you sometimes
0
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Hearty Canary
Jul 13
i only hear this word in news/history podcasts. if someone used it for bad coffee id assume they were joking
1
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Silent Koala
Jul 9
En español atrocidad se siente casi igual, although barbaridad is what my family says for a ridiculous amount of something.
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Rustic Weasel
Jul 5
the plural still trips me up for some reason, atrocity to atrocities looks too neat lol
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Contribution
Civil Marmot
Jul 2
In older or jokey writing you can call an ugly building or terrible meal an atrocity. I wouldnt teach that as the main meaning, but it explains stuff like "that sofa is an atrocity" online.
2
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Contribution
Dashing Beagle
Jul 1
Atrocious and atrocity dont travel the same way. "The weather was atrocious" is normal casual English, but "the weather was an atrocity" sounds like a joke or drama.
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Tawny Capybara
Jun 28
I keep seeing mass atrocity crimes in NGO and UN stuff and it is a little more technical than just "very bad crimes". Usually they mean genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and crimes against humanity, but ethnic cleansing itself isnt a separate ICC crime
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Eager Salamander
Jun 19
For learners, the verb is usually commit. Newspapers say "committed atrocities against civilians" all the time, not "made atrocities" or "did atrocities." Same pattern as commit a crime.
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Wild Loon
Jun 19
this helped me, I was translating from Turkish and wanted to say all atrocities will be recorded
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