atrocità
atrocity; horror
noun ah-troh-chee-TAH Rare
Origin: Latin atrocitas, from atrox (savage, cruel).
Also means
cruelty
Usage Note
Atrocità is invariable in the plural — le atrocità — like all Italian nouns ending in an accented vowel. It refers to an act of extreme cruelty or horror, often in war or violence contexts. The adjective is atroce (atrocious). A related false-friend caution: English 'atrocity' and atrocità align well, but atroce can also mean 'terrible' in colloquial understatement (un dolore atroce = terrible pain).
Examples
"Le atrocità della guerra non devono essere dimenticate."
Natural Translation
The atrocities of war must not be forgotten.
Related Words
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