obscurity

noun

ob·​scu·​ri·​ty äb-ˈskyu̇r-ə-tē 

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

Synonyms

• ambiguity
• ambiguousness
• darkness
• equivocalness
• equivocation
• inscrutability
• inscrutableness
• murkiness
• mysteriousness
• nebulosity
• nebulousness
• obliqueness
• obliquity
• opacity
• opaqueness

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

American craft brewers helped rescue from obscurity the saison, a bubbly, crisp, gently spiced beer. —Peter Rowe, San Diego Union-Tribune, 9 May 2025

Al-Sheikh has risen from obscurity to quasi-royal prominence. —Jacob Whitehead, New York Times, 24 Apr. 2025

But instead of about 20 performers Lorne Michaels plucked from obscurity, there are about a thousand more cast members just cranking out comedic vignettes on their own. —Andrew Wallenstein, Variety, 9 Apr. 2025

Marcia Marcus, a painter who spent decades making off-kilter portraits of herself and others in relative obscurity, only to gain positive notice during her final years, died at 97 on Thursday. —Alex Greenberger, ARTnews.com, 31 Mar. 2025

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

Rhymes for obscurity

• impurity
• maturity
• security
• biosecurity
• cybersecurity
• immaturity
• insecurity
• prematurity
• purity
• surety

Kids Definition

obscurity

noun

ob·​scu·​ri·​ty äb-ˈskyu̇r-ət-ē 

əb-

plural obscurities

1

: something that is obscure

2

: the quality or state of being obscure