obscenity

American  

[uhb-sen-i-tee, -see-ni-] / əbˈsɛn ɪ ti, -ˈsi nɪ- /

noun

plural

obscenities

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

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obscenity British  

/ əbˈsɛnɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being obscene

2. an obscene act, statement, word, etc

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obscenity Cultural  

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.)

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Other Word Forms

• antiobscenity noun

Etymology

Origin of obscenity

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

Explanation

An obscenity is a dirty word or phrase. It can also refer to the quality of being lewd, bawdy, or just plain offensive. You know those four-letter words that everyone knows but not everyone likes to hear? The ones that will get you in trouble if you say them in school or on television? They are obscenities, which are also known as swear words. You can also say that anything offensive or inappropriate is an obscenity. This can include things that are not only dirty, but things that are offensive in other ways. Many say torture and war are obscenities.

Example Sentences

That this is a grotesque obscenity and cannot be allowed to continue?

From Slate • Feb. 3, 2026

To publish “Ulysses” in 1934 without risking prosecution, Random House first had to orchestrate a court case to prove the book innocent of obscenity.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 28, 2026

Maybe it’s just a vibe, or as Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart once wrote about obscenity: “I know it when I see it.”

From Barron's • Dec. 18, 2025

Anderson founded “The Little Review” in Chicago in 1913 and nurtured it into a publication that moved to New York and Paris — and played a part in the infamous “Ulysses” obscenity trial.

From Los Angeles Times • Dec. 3, 2025

The unspeakable malevolence of the message is now buried deep inside the word, and out on the surface it presents itself as merely an obscenity.

From "The Lives of a Cell" by Lewis Thomas

Related Words

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