1
as in vulgarity
the quality or state of being obscene
the song couldn't be performed on the air due to the obscenity of the lyrics
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2
as in curse
a disrespectful or indecent word or expression
uttered a loud obscenity when he dropped the hammer on his toe
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Recent Examples of obscenity
South Korea’s obscenity laws severely restricted explicit content, making the magazine less distinctive compared to other fashion and lifestyle publications.
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Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
However, the honeymoon was a brief one, as Gordon left AOL because of the platform’s obscenity policies: In order to swear, members would have to pay an additional $10 per month (yes, people paid for AOL).
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
The problem got bigger after the Second World War, when, thanks in part to a huge increase in the number of college students, who had to buy books for their courses, and the relaxation of obscenity laws, which made books more attractive to grownups, the publishing industry boomed.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
But according to court documents, Webb yelled obscenities at people in a 7-Eleven parking lot, which led to an argument between Webb and some of the people who were there, local outlet KHQ reports.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obscenity 
Jeetendr Sehdev, Forbes, 23 Oct. 2024
However, the honeymoon was a brief one, as Gordon left AOL because of the platform’s obscenity policies: In order to swear, members would have to pay an additional $10 per month (yes, people paid for AOL).
—Jem Aswad, Variety, 3 Oct. 2024
The problem got bigger after the Second World War, when, thanks in part to a huge increase in the number of college students, who had to buy books for their courses, and the relaxation of obscenity laws, which made books more attractive to grownups, the publishing industry boomed.
—Louis Menand, The New Yorker, 19 Aug. 2024
But according to court documents, Webb yelled obscenities at people in a 7-Eleven parking lot, which led to an argument between Webb and some of the people who were there, local outlet KHQ reports.
—Kc Baker, People.com, 7 Oct. 2024
See all Example Sentences for obscenity
Recent Examples of Synonyms for obscenity
Noun
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Policy proposals aside, there's been name-calling, vulgarity, and plain old meanness.Jon LaPook, CBS News, 3 Nov. 2024
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Musk shared several anti-Harris advertisements, including one funded by Musk’s pro-Trump political action committee that refers to the Vice President using misogynistic vulgarities.Kali Hays, Fortune, 30 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Regardless of whether one sees it as a triumph or a curse, there is no reason to expect that low fertility will be reversed in any major way.Vegard Skirbekk, Foreign Affairs, 6 Nov. 2024
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Just one episode after breaking her family’s curse, Alice lies dead on the ground, and the witches—and especially Teen—are not happy.Erik Kain, Forbes, 10 Oct. 2024
Noun
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There’s a heavy focus on Asia’s first One&Only spa, featuring a green caviar body exfoliation and an Augustinus Bader facial celebs swear by.Katie Lockhart, Robb Report, 11 Oct. 2024
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Biggest takeaways from 'Hard Knocks' with Bears: An HBO show with no swears?Jim Reineking, USA TODAY, 6 Sep. 2024
Noun
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Over the past decade, Trump’s tenure in the political arena has stirred far more mayhem than a grandma’s profanities and arm-tugging.Julia Prodis Sulek, The Mercury News, 3 Nov. 2024
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Duterte’s profanities became a trademark of his political persona and some regarded him as Asia’s Trump.Jim Gomez, Los Angeles Times, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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Yet research suggests that children up to age 5 can learn and process up to five languages.Letters To The Editor, The Mercury News, 9 Nov. 2024
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Luckily, just in time, Nick whispers the one word in the (British) English language that instantly turns back the clock.Amanda Whiting, Vulture, 8 Nov. 2024
Noun
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As the Oxford English Dictionary notes, the expression not hardly is considered a vulgarism.NR Editors, National Review, 16 Apr. 2020
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The British cringed over new American accents, coinages and vulgarisms.Time, Time, 11 June 2019
Noun
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As an armchair legal scholar, my guess is that constitutes burglary, property damage, and perhaps public indecency.Frederick Dreier, Outside Online, 18 Nov. 2024
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One of the teachers has been charged with indecency with a child, while the other was charged for online solicitation, the DA said.Jonathan Limehouse, USA TODAY, 29 Oct. 2024
Noun
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In the postgame clubhouse following Game 5 of the National League Division Series, the expletives flowed as freely as showers of beer and champagne.Jack Harris, Los Angeles Times, 12 Oct. 2024
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Finicky, unresponsive, uncomfortable, or unreliable bindings are the bane of any rider’s existence—a thorn in your side that, at best, leads to under-your-breath expletives while strapping in.Drew Zieff, Outside Online, 11 Oct. 2024
Thesaurus Entries Near obscenity
Cite this Entry
“Obscenity.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/obscenity. Accessed 23 Nov. 2024.
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