obscurity

noun

ob·​scu·​ri·​ty äb-ˈskyu̇r-ə-tē How to pronounce obscurity (audio)
əb-
plural obscurities
1
: one that is obscure
… peppered with quotes from … heavy hitters, as well as some downright obscurities.Penelope Green
2
: the quality or state of being obscure
novels that have faded into obscurity

Examples of obscurity in a Sentence

In recent years, the tradition has emerged from obscurity. He has been living in relative obscurity in a small town in the mountains. After a promising first novel, she faded into obscurity.
Recent Examples on the Web The much-ballyhooed Threads is unraveling under the weight of its own hype, while other wannabe rivals such as Mastodon and Blue Sky linger in relative obscurity after overpromoting their potential. Jeffrey Sonnenfeld, Fortune, 4 Jan. 2024 Considered alongside this libidinous fervor, Hite’s relative obscurity today begins to feel like a glaring omission from the public imagination—and a lens for understanding larger patterns in feminist media. Hannah Giorgis, The Atlantic, 5 Dec. 2023 The draw for all parties involved is that its stars are often plucked from relative obscurity. Irina Aleksander, New York Times, 20 Feb. 2024 He was plucked from relative obscurity to corral the unruly conference after his predecessor as speaker, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.), was deposed for working with Democrats to pass other spending measures. Marianna Sotomayor, Washington Post, 16 Feb. 2024 With a relationship forged from paying it forward and mutual rises from relative obscurity, Super Sunday could be a career apex – from a football perspective anyway – for Kelce and Kittle. Nate Davis, USA TODAY, 10 Feb. 2024 Over time, the risk is that Bitcoin would slide toward obscurity. Joel Khalili, WIRED, 2 Feb. 2024 That relevance can help jump start bills to the top of agendas when, otherwise, they would have been destined for obscurity. Popular Science, 26 Jan. 2024 For many years, Neeleman operated in relative obscurity on the internet, posting about her life raising all of her children and farm animals and baking bread to a small audience of a few hundred thousand. Stephanie McNeal, Glamour, 22 Jan. 2024

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

Word History

Etymology

Middle English obscurite, borrowed from Anglo-French oscurté, obscurité, borrowed from Latin obscūritāt-, obscūritās, from obscūrus "dim, dark, imperfectly known, concealed from knowledge, incomprehensible" + -itāt-, -itās -ity — more at obscure entry 1

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of obscurity was in the 14th century

Dictionary Entries Near obscurity

Cite this Entry

“Obscurity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/obscurity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

obscurity

noun
ob·​scu·​ri·​ty äb-ˈskyu̇r-ət-ē How to pronounce obscurity (audio)
əb-
plural obscurities
1
: something that is obscure
2
: the quality or state of being obscure

More from Merriam-Webster on obscurity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
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