obscenity

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

/ əbˈsɛn ɪ ti, -ˈsi nɪ- /

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noun, plural ob·scen·i·ties for 2, 3.

the character or quality of being obscene; indecency; lewdness.

something obscene, as a picture or story.

an obscene word or expression, especially when used as an invective.

OTHER WORDS FOR obscenity

3 curse, curse word, cuss, cussword, oath, profanity, swear word.

See synonyms for obscenity on Thesaurus.com

QUIZ

ALL IN FAVO(U)R OF THIS BRITISH VS. AMERICAN ENGLISH QUIZ

There's an ocean of difference between the way people speak English in the US vs. the UK. Are your language skills up to the task of telling the difference? Let's find out!

Question 1 of 7

True or false? British English and American English are only different when it comes to slang words.

true

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Origin of obscenity

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

OTHER WORDS FROM obscenity

an·ti·ob·scen·i·ty, noun, plural an·ti·ob·scen·i·ties, adjective

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023

How to use obscenity in a sentence

Dave taunted the crowd with threats and obscenities, and finally soaked them with lurid synthetic bodily fluids.
My Friend Oderus Urungus: GWAR’s Dave Brockie Was a High School Punk Legend|Andy Hinds|March 25, 2014|DAILY BEAST
(currently, immigrants from the region do not need visas to work in Russia) to race-based obscenities.
Neo-Nationalist Violence Targets Central Asians In Russia|Anna Nemtsova|November 6, 2013|DAILY BEAST
Marc Gilbert got a baby monitor to keep tabs on his little one—then some creep hacked it and shouted obscenities at the poor kid.
How to Protect Yourself From the World’s Perviest Hackers|Winston Ross|August 15, 2013|DAILY BEAST
As early as the 1700s, politicians were getting mileage out of uttering obscenities.
Calling BS on the Surge in Cursing by Beltway Politicians|Lauren Ashburn|February 28, 2013|DAILY BEAST

Like her son, I screamed obscenities at my mother shortly after moments of relative peace.
I Was Adam Lanza|David Frum|December 22, 2012|DAILY BEAST
I have already touched upon the scurrilities and obscenities which were common in improvised comedy.
The Memoirs of Count Carlo Gozzi; Volume the first|Count Carlo Gozzi
Other voices on the cell-block took up the cry, shouting out names, too, shouting out obscenities.
Little Brother|Cory Doctorow
The cursings and obscenities that taint the air and brutalize life elsewhere, were in this quaint old settlement unknown.
The Romantic Settlement of Lord Selkirk's Colonists|George Bryce
Many of their dances were extremely licentious, and were accompanied with obscenities too disgusting to bear recital.
The Works of Hubert Howe Bancroft, Volume 1|Hubert Howe Bancroft
He sits contemplating them as he once sat drunkenly watching the obscenities of black, white, and yellow bodied women.
Erik Dorn|Ben Hecht

British Dictionary definitions for obscenity

obscenity

/ (əbˈsɛnɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being obscene

an obscene act, statement, word, etc

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Cultural definitions for obscenity

obscenity

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.)

obscenity

OTHER WORDS FOR obscenity

Origin of obscenity

OTHER WORDS FROM obscenity

Words related to obscenity

How to use obscenity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for obscenity

Cultural definitions for obscenity