obscurity
Americannoun
plural
obscurities-
the state or quality of being obscure.
-
the condition of being unknown.
He lived in obscurity for years before winning acclaim.
-
uncertainty of meaning or expression; ambiguity.
-
an unknown or unimportant person or thing.
-
darkness; dimness; indistinctness.
noun
-
the state or quality of being obscure
-
an obscure person or thing
Other Word Forms
Etymology
Origin of obscurity
1470–80; late Middle English < Middle French obscurite < Latin obscūritās, equivalent to obscūr ( us ) obscure + -itās -ity
Explanation
One meaning of obscurity is nobody knowing who you are, and another definition is something that is hard to understand because it’s too complex or unclear. Obscurity is the opposite of fame, and living in obscurity means that nobody knows your name. Many musicians played in obscurity for years before becoming rock stars. The Latin obscurus means “dark,” which is where obscurity is found: in the dark where no one sees it. Something difficult to comprehend has obscurity, for example the obscurity of a medical magazine, or a complex poem that is full of literary obscurities, referencing other poems that no one has read.
Vocabulary lists containing obscurity
The Maze Runner
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Pygmalion
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"The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
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Example Sentences
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
The conversation once again put the spotlight on Mandava herself - a 26-year-old who, in less than two years, has gone from relative obscurity to one of global fashion's most watched new faces.
From BBC • May 9, 2026
His rapid rise from polling obscurity to the top Democratic position within days suggests that his more reserved demeanor may align closely with what voters actually want in their next governor.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 23, 2026
Also making an appearance in “Bigger Than Fashion” is Virgil Abloh, the influential designer who rose from obscurity in suburban Chicago to launch Off-White, a brand with Duchampian “nothing is new” chic, in 2013.
From The Wall Street Journal • Apr. 3, 2026
Walker, Texas Ranger” — a series that never won an Emmy Award and might have otherwise faded into the obscurity of television history — found a second life on numerous streaming platforms.
From MarketWatch • Mar. 20, 2026
Centuries went by, and Vermeer fell into obscurity.
From "Chasing Vermeer" by Blue Balliett
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
