pornography

[pawr-nog-ruh-fee]

noun

1. sexually explicit videos, photographs, writings, or the like, whose purpose is to elicit sexual arousal.

pornography

/ pɔːˈnɒɡrəfɪ, ˌpɔːnəˈɡræfɪk /

noun

1. writings, pictures, films, etc, designed to stimulate sexual excitement

2. the production of such material

pornography

1. Books, photographs, magazines, art, or music designed to excite sexual impulses and considered by public authorities or public opinion as in violation of accepted standards of sexual morality. American courts have not yet settled on a satisfactory definition of what constitutes pornographic material. (See obscenity.)

Other Word Forms

• pornographic adjective
• pornographically adverb
• antipornographic adjective
• antipornography noun
• nonpornographic adjective
• unpornographic adjective
• pornographer noun

Word History and Origins

Origin of pornography¹

1840–50; < Greek pornográph ( os ) writing about harlots ( porno-, combining form of pórnē harlot + -graphos -graph ) + -y ³

Word History and Origins

Origin of pornography¹

C19: from Greek pornographos writing of harlots, from pornē a harlot + graphein to write

Example Sentences

According to Ofcom, visits to pornography sites in general in the UK have reduced by almost a third in the three months since 25 July.

Read more on BBC

Authorities on Monday asked the public for leads regarding the head of a company that organized youth after-school programs after he was arrested last week on suspicion of possessing child pornography.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

Lyons, 41, was arrested Monday and is accused of producing and distributing child pornography from around May 2020 to December 2024.

Read more on Los Angeles Times

The defense is also expected to revive its earlier argument that Combs’ recordings of his so-called “freak-offs” fall under First Amendment protections for amateur pornography.

Read more on Salon

Judge Jenkins said he believed Jones, described as socially isolated and "a loner", had been "corrupted" by watching pornography.

Read more on BBC

Related Words

• smut