pornography

noun

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por·nog·ra·phy | \ pȯr-ˈnä-grə-fē

Definition of pornography

1 : the depiction of erotic behavior (as in pictures or writing) intended to cause sexual excitement

2 : material (such 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

Other Words from pornography What is pornography? More Example Sentences Phrases Containing pornography Learn More About pornography

Other Words from pornography

pornographic \ ˌpȯr-nə-ˈgra-fik

\ adjective

pornographically \ ˌpȯr-nə-ˈgra-fi-k(ə-)lē

\ adverb

What is pornography?

For many people, any attempt to define the word pornography calls to mind the oft-quoted line from Supreme Court Justice Potter Stewart in 1964: “. . . I know it when I see it.” While compilers of dictionaries might wish to be granted such latitude in explaining the meaning of certain words, they are held to a higher standard. Pornography, which has been used in English since the middle of the 19th century, comes from the Greek pornographos (“writing about prostitutes”), and initially referred to visual or written matter designed to cause sexual arousal, a meaning that is still the most common one employed today. Pornography has taken on an additional, non-sexualized, sense: one that refers to a depiction of sensational material (such as violence) in order to elicit a reaction. The phrase “pornography of violence,” for example, began to be used in the early 1950s.

Examples of pornography in a Sentence

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

Learn More About pornography

Dictionary Entries Near pornography

pornographer

pornography

porny

Statistics for pornography

Cite this Entry

“Pornography.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pornography. Accessed 27 Jun. 2022.

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More Definitions for pornography

pornography

noun

por·nog·ra·phy | \ pȯr-ˈnä-grə-fē

Legal Definition of pornography

: material that depicts erotic behavior and is intended to cause sexual excitement

Note: Pornographic material is protected expression unless it is determined to be obscene. However, child pornography is illegal under federal and state laws prohibiting the depiction of minors in sexual acts.

Other Words from pornography

pornographer \ pȯr-ˈnä-grə-fər

\ noun

pornographic \ ˌpȯr-nə-ˈgra-fik

\ adjective

pornographically adverb