ā̆trōcĭtas, ātis, f. [atrox], the quality of atrox, harshness, horribleness, hideousness, hatefulness (having reference to the form, appearance, while saevitas relates to the mind; hence the latter is used only of persons, the former of persons and things; v. Doed. Syn. I. p. 40; syn.: saevitas, duritia, acerbitas, crudelitas).
I Lit. (class., but only in prose): si res ista gravissima suā sponte videretur, tamen ejus atrocitas necessitudinis nomine levaretur, Cic. Quinct. 16, 52: ipsius facti atrocitas aut indignitas, id. Inv. 2, 17, 53: facinoris, Suet. Calig. 12: sceleris, Sall. C. 22, 3: temporum, Suet. Tib. 48; id. Calig. 6: poenae, id. Dom. 11.—
II Of the mind or manners, agitation (like that of the sea, v. ater and atrocitas maris, Col. 8, 17, 10), tumult rage , savageness , barbarity , atrocity , cruelty , roughness : ego quod in hac causā vehementior sum, non atrocitate animi moveor (quis enim est me mitior?) sed, etc., Cic. Cat. 4, 6: hae litterae invidiosam atrocitatem verborum habent, id. ad. Q. Fr. 1, 2, 2, § 6. So, morum, Tac. A. 4, 13: consilium nefandae atrocitatis, Suet. Calig. 48.—In phil. and jurid. lang. severity , harshness : atrocitas ista quo modo in veterem Academiam irruperit, nescio, Cic. Ac. 2 ( Luc. ), 44, 136: atrocitas formularum, the rigid strictness of judicial formulas , Quint. 7, 1, 37 Spald.—In plur., Ap. Met. 10, 28, 20.