vulgarism

noun

vul·​gar·​ism ˈvəl-gə-ˌri-zəm How to pronounce vulgarism (audio)
1
2
a
: a word or expression originated or used chiefly by illiterate persons
b
: a coarse word or phrase : obscenity

Examples of vulgarism in a Sentence

used vulgarisms that embarrassed his family
Recent Examples on the Web As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism. Nr Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2020 The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms. Time, 11 June 2019 Trump himself has deployed vulgarisms for the female anatomy, plus T-shirts calling Democrat Hillary Clinton the same word were regularly spotted at Trump rallies during the 2016 campaign. Maria Puente, USA TODAY, 1 June 2018 As her unwillingness to come right out and say a vulgarism suggests, Mrs. Bush was in many ways a throwback. Mark Feeney, BostonGlobe.com, 17 Apr. 2018

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vulgarism.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

circa 1676, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vulgarism was circa 1676

Dictionary Entries Near vulgarism

Cite this Entry

“Vulgarism.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulgarism. Accessed 4 Nov. 2024.

Kids Definition

vulgarism

noun
vul·​gar·​ism ˈvəl-gə-ˌriz-əm How to pronounce vulgarism (audio)
: a vulgar expression
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