Test Your Vocabulary

Take Our 10-Question Quiz

Name That Thing

Take our visual vocab quiz

Test Your Knowledge »

True or False?

A quick quiz about stuff worth knowing

Take It Now »

Join Us on FB & Twitter

Get the Word of the Day and More

Facebook | Twitter

pornography


por·nog·ra·phy

noun \-fē\

Definition of PORNOGRAPHY

1
: the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement
2
: material (as books or a photograph) that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement
3
: the depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction <the pornography of violence>
por·no·graph·ic \ˌpr-nə-ˈgra-fik\ adjective
por·no·graph·i·cal·ly \-fi-k(ə-)lē\ adverb

Examples of PORNOGRAPHY

  1. If you ask me, his movies are just high-class pornography.

Origin of PORNOGRAPHY

Greek pornographos, adjective, writing about prostitutes, from pornē prostitute + graphein to write; akin to Greek pernanai to sell, poros journey — more at fare, carve
First Known Use: 1858

Rhymes with PORNOGRAPHY

Browse

Next Word in the Dictionary: porny
Previous Word in the Dictionary: pornographer
All Words Near: pornography

Seen & Heard

What made you want to look up pornography? Please tell us where you read or heard it (including the quote, if possible).