noun
-
the state or quality of being profane
-
vulgar or irreverent action, speech, etc
Other Word Forms
Derived Forms
Inflected Forms
Nouns
Etymology
Origin of profanity
From the Late Latin word profānitās, dating back to 1600–10. See profane, -ity
Explanation
Profanity is a type of language that includes dirty words and ideas. Swear words, obscene gestures, and naughty jokes are all considered profanity. You know those four-letter words you're not supposed to say? They're profanity: language that's vulgar and obscene. R-rated movies and cable stations like HBO have a lot of profanity, but you won't hear it on a station like NBC or ABC. Profanity tends to be about off-color subjects, like sex and going to the bathroom. Everyone probably spews some profanity at some point, but you better be careful about who's listening.
Vocabulary lists containing profanity
"Only Daughter" and "Calling a Foul"
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Odd One Out
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The Red Pony
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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.
See Examples For:
This is a novel where the characters use profanity so little that in the dark moments when they do, one remembers why the words are considered profane.
From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 21, 2026
The use of profanity by protesters is because "when there's a weaker sense of respect, expletives become a response".
From BBC ● Aug. 26, 2026
The bit works because you totally commit to the song’s hugeness, and the profanity slips by like it’s spontaneous.
From Los Angeles Times ● Jul. 10, 2026
But a new report from the Washington Post quantifies what many people have sensed: Trump’s use of profanity, insults and combative language has grown much worse since his return to power in January 2025.
From Salon ● May 26, 2026
She used to add, with a smirk that unprofane people can’t control when venturing into profanity, “and wash as far as possible, then wash possible.”
From "I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings" by Maya Angelou
When one of China's biggest stand-up comedians opened his show with a joke about the extraordinarily long rule of the country's leader Xi Jinping, it drew a cheer, alongside a smattering of approving profanities.
From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026
Still, Fetterman — known for his blunt and irreverent talk — generally confined his profanities to his writings on social media when describing his disdain for, say, Pennsylvania’s relatively low minimum wage.
From Seattle Times ● Jan. 25, 2024
So as I talked about in the book, with respect to coarse words and profanities, there was actually an Obscenities Act.
From Salon ● Oct. 22, 2023
I wonder now whether trading profanities could be used more widely and with therapeutic intention within the disabled community, and even beyond.
From Washington Post ● Jul. 29, 2022
Robin Hood and Maid Marian, with the fool and Hobby Horse, were, doubtless, enacted to the jingling of morris-dancers and other profanities.
From Notes and Queries, Number 51, October 19, 1850 by Various
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Get a wordDefinitions 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.
