Word
obscenity
Phoneticsob·scen·i·ty
US/əbˈsɛnɪti/
UK/ɒbsˈɛnɪti/
Definition
n. language or behavior that is very rude, offensive, or shocking. It is often used to describe words that are considered too dirty to say in public.
n. language or behavior that is offensive, indecent, or socially unacceptable. Often refers to profanity or explicit sexual content.
Examples
“The film was banned for its graphic obscenity.”
“The comedian was asked to leave the club after using a word of extreme obscenity during his set.”
“The legal battle centered on whether the publication's use of obscenity was protected speech or a violation of public morals.”
Examples
simple
“The film was banned for its graphic obscenity.”
contextual
“The comedian was asked to leave the club after using a word of extreme obscenity during his set.”
complex
“The legal battle centered on whether the publication's use of obscenity was protected speech or a violation of public morals.”
Real-World Examples
“His behaviour on court has been widely criticised and he has been given numerous large fines for smashing racquets, making audible obscenities and arguing with the umpire.” Etymology
From obscene + -ity, from Latin obscenitas.
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Word family
Scan code
englishreference.com/q/obscenity