profanity

noun

pro·​fan·​i·​ty prō-ˈfa-nə-tē How to pronounce profanity (audio)
prə-
plural profanities
1
a
: the quality or state of being profane
b
: the use of profane language
2
a
: profane language
b
: an utterance of profane language

Examples of profanity in a Sentence

The comic uses too much profanity. My mom will not tolerate profanity. I have never heard my father utter a single profanity.
Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
As the speeches began, chaos consumed the day as air horns were blasted, pages from pornographic magazines thrown down from the balconies and white mice released on to the floor, before the ‘nun’ started dancing up and down the aisles shouting comic profanity. Jesse Whittock, Deadline, 6 Nov. 2025 Video from the scene shows an agent wrestling a suspect to the ground and striking him multiple times as bystanders shouted profanity and tried to intervene, with one person attempting to pull an agent away. Bonny Chu, FOXNews.com, 3 Nov. 2025 This is far from the first time the show's cohosts have been censored on the air for using profanity during the broadcasts. Joey Nolfi, Entertainment Weekly, 30 Oct. 2025 More people in tactical police vests get inside the vehicle, as an angry crowd forms around it, yelling profanities. Ximena Bustillo, NPR, 29 Oct. 2025 See All Example Sentences for profanity

Word History

First Known Use

1563, in the meaning defined at sense 1a

Time Traveler
The first known use of profanity was in 1563

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Profanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profanity. Accessed 16 Nov. 2025.

Kids Definition

profanity

noun
pro·​fan·​i·​ty prō-ˈfan-ət-ē How to pronounce profanity (audio)
prə-
plural profanities
1
: the quality or state of being profane
2
: profane language

More from Merriam-Webster on profanity

Last Updated: - Updated example sentences
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!