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atrocity

Noun

IPA /əˈtrɒsəti/

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Meaning in plain English

An extremely cruel and violent act, particularly one committed during a war.

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Pronunciation

atrocity/əˈtrɒsəti/

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An extremely cruel act takes place
People suffer serious harm

An atrocity involves extreme cruelty and violence, far beyond an ordinary wrongdoing.

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The documentary included survivors' accounts of an atrocity in their village.
The history students examined evidence of wartime atrocities.

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The documentary included survivors' accounts of an ________ in their village.

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atrocity — An extremely cruel and violent act, particularly one committed during a war.

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An extremely cruel and violent act, particularly one committed during a war.

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Word origin

From French atrocite or Latin atrocitas, related to atrox, meaning cruel.

Did you know?

The plural is atrocities, and commit atrocities is a common combination.

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