obscurity

[ uhb-skyoor-i-tee ]

noun

, plural ob·scu·ri·ties.

1. the state or quality of being obscure.
2. the condition of being unknown:

   He lived in obscurity for years before winning acclaim.

3. uncertainty of meaning or expression; ambiguity.
4. an unknown or unimportant person or thing.
5. darkness; dimness; indistinctness.

obscurity

/ əbˈskjʊərɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being obscure
2. an obscure person or thing

Other Words From

• nonob·scuri·ty noun plural nonobscurities

Word History and Origins

Origin of obscurity¹

1470–80; late Middle English < Middle French obscurite < Latin obscūritās, equivalent to obscūr ( us ) obscure + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

When Johnson rose from relative obscurity to the Speaker position, one of the few pieces of information that journalists dug up was that he had been in a documentary about "purity balls" in 2015.

From Salon

When Gaitonde died in 2001 at the age of 77, his death went widely unreported as the artist lived his last years in obscurity.

From BBC

The freeway references, the voices, the obscurity of the “problems” and the staff breaking up because they knew all of this even while playing it out.

From Los Angeles Times

But this year, advocacy groups and some Democrats in Congress brought it out of obscurity and called for Biden to use 620I to pressure the Israelis to allow aid freely into Gaza.

From Salon

Even if Harris wins and Trump finally shuffles off into obscurity, that's the question that will haunt us as a country for many years to come.

From Salon

Related Words

• darkness