obscurity

American  

[uhb-skyoor-i-tee] / əbˈskyʊər ɪ ti /

noun

plural

obscurities

1. the state or quality of being obscure.

2. the condition of being unknown.

   He lived in obscurity for years before winning acclaim.

3. uncertainty of meaning or expression; ambiguity.

4. an unknown or unimportant person or thing.

5. darkness; dimness; indistinctness.

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obscurity British  

/ əbˈskjʊərɪtɪ /

noun

1. the state or quality of being obscure

2. an obscure person or thing

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Other Word Forms

• nonobscurity noun

Etymology

Origin of obscurity

1470–80; late Middle English < Middle French obscurite < Latin obscūritās, equivalent to obscūr ( us ) obscure + -itās -ity

Example Sentences

In bed, the peaceful, warm obscurity of sleep beckoned.

From Literature

But the fact that all three trade at single-digit price-to-earnings ratios, about one-fourth Apple’s multiple, might have as much to do with their obscurity as their quality.

From The Wall Street Journal

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

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

“Doherty has rescued libertarianism from its own obscurity,” the Wall Street Journal wrote of the work, “eloquently capturing the appeal of the ‘pure idea.’”

From Los Angeles Times

Related Words

• darkness