vulgarity

play

noun vul·gar·i·ty \ ˌvəl-ˈger-rə-tē , -ˈga-rə- \

Definition of vulgarity

plural vulgarities

1 :something vulgar

2 :the quality or state of being vulgar

See vulgarity defined for English-language learners

See vulgarity defined for kids

Examples of vulgarity in a Sentence

a comedian known for her vulgarity
I was shocked by the vulgarity of his language.
He uttered a vulgarity and was silent.
We have a policy against printing vulgarities in our magazine.

Recent Examples of vulgarity from the Web

The way these two get in cahoots with each other is both cartoonish and often hilarious: Scott, who captures Carlton’s principled but nebbish-y vibe to perfection, makes an excellent foil for Ginn’s raw, comical, f-bomb-dropping vulgarity.

— james hebert, sandiegouniontribune.com, "Ion's 'North' offers of-the-moment laughs and shocks," 28 Aug. 2017
True, Broner developed a Mayweather-like flamboyant persona during his run to world titles in four separate weight classes and has displayed repeated acts of vulgarity in attempting to promote his bouts.

— by santos a. perez, miamiherald, "Broner serious for Garcia fight," 23 July 2017
The spectacle surrounding this fight already has set modern standards for public vulgarity and ostentatious indecency, both of which will be richly rewarded by a public with an apparently insatiable appetite for bread and circuses.

— charles p. pierce, SI.com, "Sideshow Effect: Floyd Mayweather Jr. vs. Conor McGregor is the worst of sports and society," 20 July 2017
In body-camera footage from the arrest, LaBeouf argues with police that he was arrested solely for asking for a cigarette, shouting vulgarities at police during the course of the clip.

— aric jenkins, Time, "Shia LaBeouf Apologizes After Video Captures Racist Taunting of Black Police Officer," 12 July 2017
Unlike many of his more slapdash efforts, there's nothing cheap-looking in the tech work and the unabashed display of vulgarity, silly costumes and bosses dressed as flying squirrels.

— deborah young, The Hollywood Reporter, "'The Mole Song — Hong Kong Capriccio': Film Review | Shanghai 2017," 30 June 2017
Upon getting him into the cruiser to drive him to jail, the officer said the suspect used vulgarities and wished harm upon his family.

— thomas jewell, cleveland.com, "Hotel manager bounces counterfeit check operation: Orange police blotter," 29 June 2017
From his mouth have come vulgarity and bitterness, too.

— bernie lincicome, chicagotribune.com, "Tiger Woods, like his long lost golf game, isn't a pretty picture," 10 June 2017
CNN has cut ties with on-air personality Reza Aslan, who tweeted a vulgarity about President Donald Trump in the wake of the London terrorist attacks last week.

— joe flint, WSJ, "CNN Cuts Ties With Reza Aslan Over Anti-Trump Tweet," 9 June 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'vulgarity.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.