Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com
Showing results for pornographic. Search instead for pornography site.
Synonyms

pornographic

American  
[pawr-nuh-graf-ik] / ˌpɔr nəˈgræf ɪk /

adjective

  1. of, relating to, or reminiscent of sexually explicit material, such as video, audio, text, or images, whose purpose is to elicit sexual arousal.


Etymology

Origin of pornographic

First recorded in 1850–55; pornograph(y) ( def. ) + -ic ( def. )


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:

"The use of highly effective age assurance to protect children from harmful pornographic content is non-negotiable and we will accept no excuses for failure," said Suzanne Cater, director of enforcement at Ofcom.

From BBC ● Nov. 20, 2025

He noted the absurdity of sweeping into the category of pornographic material many books that “are classics, modern award winners, and tested on AP exams.”

From Slate ● Aug. 21, 2025

Books that get removed from libraries are often described as inappropriate or pornographic, but in practice, many deal with themes of race or include L.G.B.T.Q. characters, according to free speech organization and library groups.

From New York Times ● Jun. 20, 2023

Ms Hollberg said she was "astonished", stating that to think that the David statue could be considered pornographic means not only failing to understand the Bible, but Western culture itself.

From BBC ● Mar. 27, 2023

In English literature, if we except Shakespeare's Sonnets, George Barnfield's Poems, parts of Marlowe, "Roderick Random," Churchill's Satire "The Times," homosexual passions have been rarely handled, and none of these works are pornographic.

From A Problem in Modern Ethics being an inquiry into the phenomenon of sexual inversion, addressed especially to Medical Psychologists and Jurists by John Addington Symonds

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word


Vocabulary.com logo
by dictionary.com

Join 14,000,000 vocabulary learners

Start learning new words today on VocabTrainer.
You'll remember them forever.

Start training