profundity

noun

pro·​fun·​di·​ty prə-ˈfən-də-tē 

plural profundities

1

a

: intellectual depth

b

: something profound or abstruse

2

: the quality or state of being profound or deep

Synonyms

• deepness
• depth
• profoundness

Examples of profundity in a Sentence

the profundity of his thoughts

Her books are a mixture of playfulness and profundity.

the depth and profundity of her feelings

Recent Examples on the Web

But there’s something about Gilmour’s deep voice, an inherent profundity, that has always been able to sell despair as a pop song. —Kory Grow, Rolling Stone, 5 Nov. 2024

In street lit, however, profundity comes at a cost. —Jason Parham, WIRED, 13 Sep. 2023

This is very basic, commonplace Scorpio behavior, but other people often project profundity upon it. —Jennifer Culp, Them, 16 Oct. 2024

The book is filled with humor, canny allusion, beauty, and a profundity born of glimpsing fleeting human lives from the outside—through eyes that have seen epochs yet nonetheless remain befuddled. —The New Yorker, 30 Sep. 2024

Word History

Etymology

Middle English profundite, from Latin profunditat-, profunditas depth, from profundus

First Known Use

15th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Kids Definition

profundity

noun

pro·​fun·​di·​ty prə-ˈfən-dət-ē 

plural profundities

1

: great knowledge or understanding

2

: something profound