obscurity
Americannoun
-
obscurities
plural
-
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
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
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
Looking to grow your vocabulary? Check out this interactive, curated word list from our team of English language specialists at Vocabulary.com – one of over 17,000 lists we've built to help learners worldwide!
Pygmalion
Interested in learning more words like this one? Our team at Vocabulary.com has got you covered! You can review flashcards, quiz yourself, practice spelling, and more – and it's all completely free to use!
"The Minister's Black Veil" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
Want to remember this word for good? Start your learning journey today with our library of interactive, themed word lists built by the experts at Vocabulary.com – we'll help you make the most of your study time!
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.
See Examples For:
"Their success revived interest in Lawrence's dramatic work and helped spark a renaissance of his plays in London theatre circles after decades of relative obscurity following his death in 1930," the agency said.
From BBC ● Aug. 4, 2026
Other figures have been rescued by the author from obscurity.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Jul. 21, 2026
Orlando Gill continued his remarkable journey from obscurity as he became Paraguay's penalty shootout hero against Germany on Monday.
From BBC ● Jun. 30, 2026
Papers published in Science often enjoy a media moment before fading into obscurity.
From Salon ● Jun. 26, 2026
I had decided to ask a yes-or-no question, which might at least make plain the extent and kind of obscurity or ambiguity in the answer.
From "The Left Hand of Darkness" by Ursula K. Le Guin
They scour the internet to confirm obscurities, contact competition officials and high-school counselors and use a video-interview program to suss out students’ research claims.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 4, 2026
"It was a great song, and as a fan of 60s and 70s obscurities I knew it was unknown."
From BBC ● Aug. 11, 2025
She also plays endearing obscurities, like the first songs she wrote as a child.
From New York Times ● Oct. 16, 2022
The song selection is a mix of well-known tunes and obscurities.
From Los Angeles Times ● Oct. 22, 2021
He pursued more stimulating projects, whilst I, alone in the chamber, labored through his Classical obscurities.
From "The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Traitor to the Nation, Volume I: The Pox Party" by M.T. Anderson
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.
