obscenity

[ uhb-sen-i-tee, -see-ni- ]

noun

, plural ob·scen·i·ties

1. the character or quality of being obscene; indecency; lewdness.
2. something obscene, as a picture or story.
3. an obscene word or expression, especially when used as an invective.

   Synonyms: swear word, profanity, oath, cussword, cuss, curse word, curse

obscenity

/ əbˈsɛnɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being obscene
2. an obscene act, statement, word, etc

obscenity

1. Behavior, appearance, or expression (such as films and books) that violate accepted standards of sexual morality. American courts have long tried to define obscenity but without much success. Some believe, for example, that any depiction of nudity is obscene; others would argue that nudity in itself is not obscene. ( See four-letter words (see also four-letter words ) and pornography .)

Other Words From

• anti·ob·sceni·ty noun plural antiobscenities adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of obscenity¹

First recorded in 1600–10; from French obscenité, from Latin obscēnitās, equivalent to obscēn(us) obscene + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

She spoke openly about the illness, the drugs she is taking, and her mortality, at times punctuating her comments with an obscenity.

From Los Angeles Times

The opening episodes of “Grotesquerie” do little to reveal the moral bubbling beneath the obscenity.

From Salon

Despite often receiving obscenities on his posts, he insists there is not a war between motorists and cyclists.

From BBC

The video shows a woman pepper-spraying a group of Carson High School students and yelling obscenities.

From Los Angeles Times

State legislatures have proposed bills that would hold libraries accountable to obscenity laws and would make it a crime for librarians and educators to stock books containing sexually explicit images.

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• four-letter word
• indecency
• pornography
• profanity
• smut
• vulgarity