ENGLISH
REFERENCE

pornography

n.
US //pɔɹˈnɑɡɹəfi// UK //pɔːnˈɒɡɹəfi// pornog·ra·phy
  1. 1 sexual material (n.)
    B2 Upper Intermediate

    books, videos, or images that show sexual acts in a very clear and direct way.

    the explicit depiction of sexual subject matter in various media, typically intended to stimulate erotic interest.

    Example

    The government introduced new laws to control the sale of pornography online.

    Example

    The legal definition of pornography varies significantly across jurisdictions, often hinging on whether the material is deemed to have any redeeming artistic or social value.

    Usage

    uncountable in most contexts.
  2. 2 highly visual media (n.)
    C1 Advanced Informal Humorous

    beautiful or detailed pictures of things you love, like food or houses, that are very satisfying to look at.

    the depiction of non-sexual subject matter in a highly aestheticised or detailed manner that elicits intense pleasure or desire.

    Example

    I spent all evening looking at food pornography on social media instead of cooking.

    Example

    The magazine is essentially real estate pornography, featuring glossy, multi-page spreads of mansions that the average reader could never afford to buy.

    Usage

    frequently used as a suffix in compound words like 'food porn' or 'real estate porn'.

    Teacher's tip

    This sense is very common in modern social media contexts to describe high-quality photography of hobbies.
    • eye candy
Origin

From French pornographie, from Ancient Greek πορνογράφος (pornográphos), from πορνεία (porneía, “fornication, prostitution”) + γράφω (gráphō, “I depict”).

Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Word family

Last updated June 20, 2026