vulgarism

American

[vuhl-guh-riz-uhm] / ˈvʌl gəˌrɪz əm /

noun

vulgar behavior or character; vulgarity.
a vulgar expression; a word or phrase used only in common colloquial, and especially in coarse, speech.

vulgarism British

/ ˈvʌlɡəˌrɪzəm /

noun

a coarse, crude, or obscene expression
a word or phrase found only in the vulgar form of a language
another word for vulgarity

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of vulgarism

First recorded in 1635–45; vulgar + -ism

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:

vulgarism

Well, the Games brought a large wave of vulgarism to Hyde Park for the men's triathlon on Tuesday and I was happy to be part of it.

From The Guardian ● Aug. 8, 2012

Le mot de Cambronne . . . was not a "defiant vulgarism as a reply to a British demand for surrender" .

From Time Magazine Archive

The predominant fault of the bad English encountered today is not the crude vulgarism of the untaught but the blithe irresponsibility of the taught.

From Time Magazine Archive

"Naff off," an upper-class vulgarism, is gaining popularity around the world largely through Anne's efforts.

From Time Magazine Archive

Many of the most cultivated people are guilty of this vulgarism.

From Every-Day Errors of Speech by L. P. Meredith

Random Word

Spin the wheel and learn a new word!

Get a word

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023