profanity
noun
, prə-\
Definition of profanity
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Synonyms for profanity
Synonyms
curse, cuss, cussword, dirty word, expletive, four-letter word, obscenity, swear, swearword, vulgarism
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Examples of profanity in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
No personal attacks or insults, no hate speech, no profanity. — Christopher Elliott, The Seattle Times, "Travel Wise | Government shutdown may create a ripple of disruptions for travelers," 22 Jan. 2019 That's led to mostly one-sided matches, with one side salty as the Pacific Ocean and screaming profanities. — Gordon Mah Ung, PCWorld, "World of Warships dives deep for new players, adding submarines to popular naval combat game," 18 Sep. 2018 So far, no music or ads are allowed within the stories, and publications can’t use profanity either, in accordance with FCC guidelines, according to Google. — Shannon Liao, The Verge, "Google wants to replace your radio as an audio news source," 6 Dec. 2018 Severino and Marrillia, a Tavares grad and former UCF outfielder, were also cited for unsportsmanlike conduct and the use of profanity toward an official in the district tournament loss to Timber Creek. — J.c. Carnahan, OrlandoSentinel.com, "Winter Park baseball makes coaching change following chaotic season finale," 28 June 2018 The use of profanity in comedy is so commonplace that it's almost expected. — The Washington Post, NOLA.com, "Let's talk about the c-word -- and why it's so taboo," 2 June 2018 The misogynistic term remains the third rail of profanity. — Stephanie Ebbert, BostonGlobe.com, "Why the c-word is still the third rail of profanity," 1 June 2018 One Icelander said the graffiti is created out of boredom and largely free of profanity. — Liz Dufour, USA TODAY, "WOW Air stopover: Photos of 82 hours in Iceland," 25 May 2018 Naples, according to Holloway, has apologized for his use of profanity and the slur. — Breanna Edwards, The Root, "Florida Police Officer Resigns After Being Caught on Camera Calling Black Man a 'Piece of Shit N-Word'," 13 June 2018These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'profanity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
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From the Editors at Merriam-Webster
What the #@*% Is a ‘Grawlix'?
What the #@*% Is a ‘Grawlix'?
You’ll be amazed by the answer, we swear.
Dictionary Entries near profanity
Statistics for profanity
Last Updated
12 Mar 2019
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Time Traveler for profanity
The first known use of profanity was in 1563
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More Definitions for profanity
profanity
noun
English Language Learners Definition of profanity
See the full definition for profanity in the English Language Learners Dictionary
profanity
noun
\
Kids Definition of profanity
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