profanity

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noun pro·fan·i·ty \ prō-ˈfa-nə-tē , prə- \

Definition of profanity

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

See profanity defined for English-language learners

See profanity defined for kids

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 of profanity from the Web

The Santa Margarita Little League team from California won the West Regional title Saturday night without its manager, C.J. Ankrum, who was suspended for one game for using profanity in a previous game.

— lori riley, courant.com, "On The Fly: Boston's Impossible Dream Team Celebrates 50th Anniversary," 15 Aug. 2017
Just recently in Minnesota, an Islamic cemetery in Castle Rock Township reported it had been vandalized with spray painted profanities and swastikas.

— jeff baenen, chicagotribune.com, "Minnesota mosque explosion 'deeper and scarier' than threats," 6 Aug. 2017
Just recently in Minnesota, an Islamic cemetery in Castle Rock Township reported it had been vandalized with spray painted profanities and swastikas.

— greg garrison, AL.com, "Bike-car crash leaves one dead," 6 Aug. 2017
The string of profanities continued as bailiffs escorted him out of the courtroom.

— ruth ann krause, Post-Tribune, "Time added to man's sentence for using profanities in court," 2 Aug. 2017
But the move comes after new White House Communications Director Anthony Scaramucci, in a profanity-laced interview with The New Yorker, blamed Priebus for possibly being behind a series of leaks to the press.

— michael sebastian, Cosmopolitan, "Who Is Reince Priebus? 11 Things to Know About Donald Trump's Former Chief of Staff," 28 July 2017
One of the many amusements, many of them completely unintended, that has accompanied reading the New York Times over the decades has been observing the way the Gray Lady squirms and blushes when confronted with profanity.

— kyle smith, National Review, "When the New York Times Decides to Spell Out Profanity," 28 July 2017
The car of five teenage boys was trying to move out of a parking space when a person shouting profanity and shining a flashlight approached the vehicle.

— christina coleman, Essence.com, "Texas Cop Who Killed Black Teen Jordan Edwards Indicted On Murder Charge," 18 July 2017
Nothing quite epitomizes Wall Street’s profound schizophrenia about Washington these days better than Jamie Dimon’s impromptu, Bastille Day, profanity-laced screed directed toward Congress and Donald Trump’s administration.

— vanityfair.com, "The Real Reason Jamie Dimon Went Berserk About America’s “Stupid Shit”," 17 July 2017

These 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.

First Known Use of profanity

1563

profanity Synonyms

PROFANITY Defined for English Language Learners

profanity

play

noun

Definition of profanity for English Language Learners

: offensive language
: an offensive word

PROFANITY Defined for Kids

profanity

play

noun pro·fan·i·ty \ prō-ˈfa-nə-tē \

Definition of profanity for Students

plural profanities

:language that is offensive or disrespectful

Learn More about profanity

See words that rhyme with profanity Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for profanity Spanish Central: Translation of profanity Nglish: Translation of profanity for Spanish speakers Britannica English: Translation of profanity for Arabic speakers

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PROFANITY Defined for English Language Learners

profanity

Definition of profanity for English Language Learners

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