obscenity

noun

ob·​scen·​i·​ty äb-ˈse-nə-tē 

əb-,

 also  -ˈsē-

plural obscenities

1

: the quality or state of being obscene

2

: something (such as an utterance or act) that is obscene

Synonyms

• bawdiness
• blueness
• coarseness
• crudeness
• crudity
• dirt
• dirtiness
• filth
• filthiness
• foulness
• grossness
• impureness
• impurity
• indecency
• lasciviousness
• lewdness
• nastiness
• profanity
• raunch
• raunchiness
• ribaldry
• smut
• smuttiness
• vulgarity
• wantonness

Examples of obscenity in a Sentence

The author uses obscenity to make a point about the culture.

the song couldn't be performed on the air due to the obscenity of the lyrics

Recent Examples on the Web

Yet the movie also contains, by my count, more than a dozen significant obscenities, as well as enough death to scar the Bluey crowd for life. —Graham Hillard, Washington Examiner - Political News and Conservative Analysis About Congress, the President, and the Federal Government, 21 Mar. 2025

Other states don’t allow numerical digits, obscenity, or names of people who have committed atrocities, according to US Birth Certificates. —Anna Halkidis, Parents, 23 Jan. 2025

The reason the rabbit vibrator is called this was to get around obscenity laws in Japan when the products were exported. —Amanda Chatel, Glamour, 19 Feb. 2025

City Manager Dan Dugger’s recent behavior — walking down from the chambers to confront a civilian in a threatening manner, yelling obscenities, and ultimately being restrained by law enforcement — is not just a single lapse in judgment. —Dominick Vargas, Sun Sentinel, 1 Feb. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Middle French & Latin; Middle French obscenité "indecent words or images," borrowed from Latin obscēnitāt-, obscēnitās (obscaenitāt-, obscaenitās) "indecency, indecent language or behavior," from obscēnus, obscaenus "ill-omened, unpropitious, evoking disgust, indecent, lewd" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at obscene

First Known Use

1589, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Phrases Containing obscenity

• anti-obscenity

Rhymes for obscenity

• amenity
• serenity
• lenity

Kids Definition

obscenity

noun

ob·​scen·​i·​ty äb-ˈsen-ət-ē 

əb-

plural obscenities

1

: the quality or state of being obscene

2

: something that is obscene

Legal Definition

obscenity

noun

ob·​scen·​i·​ty äb-ˈse-nə-tē 

plural obscenities

1

: the quality or state of being obscene

2

: something (as an utterance or act) that is obscene

also : obscene material