indecency

noun

(ˌ)in-ˈdē-sᵊn(t)-sē How to pronounce indecency (audio)
Definition of indecencynext
1
as in grossness
the quality or state of being obscene parents complained about the indecency of the song's lyrics

Synonyms & Similar Words

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Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in unfitness
the quality or state of not being socially proper that a remark of such indisputable indecency was uttered at a meeting of the school board made everyone gasp

Synonyms & Similar Words

Antonyms & Near Antonyms

Example Sentences

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.
Recent Examples of indecency Our views on morality and indecency are rife with inconsistency and hypocrisy. — Literary Hub, 12 Aug. 2026 On July 27, Campbell was charged with three additional counts of indecency with a child after more victims came forward. — Maven Navarro, Fort Worth Star-Telegram, 3 Aug. 2026 There was so much striving, by individuals and their teams, striving for the World Cup trophy and striving against every structural indecency that conspired to compromise the game’s integrity. — Jerry Brewer, New York Times, 20 July 2026 My fiancé’s older brother is in prison for felony indecency with a child. — Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 17 July 2026 See All Example Sentences for indecency
Recent Examples of Synonyms for indecency
  1. grossness
  2. unfitness
  3. vulgarity
  4. inappropriateness
  5. obscenity
  6. disrespect
  7. lewdness
  8. unseemliness
Noun
  • But Paddy’s isn’t Sudz, and the Gang’s efforts to soft-pedal their antics to be more in line with those mainstream bars devolved into typical Sunny-style hostility and off-putting grossness.
    — Dennis Perkins, Entertainment Weekly, 28 July 2026
  • All your Dad has to do is fill it and drink—the microfilter membrane will do the rest by removing chlorine odors, dirt, bacteria, and any other grossness floating around in there.
    — Francesca Krempa, Travel + Leisure, 11 June 2026
Definition of grossness
Noun
  • Not just shame but gross unfitness for serving in a role at a state university.
    — Los Angeles Times, Los Angeles Times, 29 Aug. 2026
  • Musk attempted to color Altman as a uniquely unsuitable supervisor of this technology, but this invariably invited further scrutiny into his own abject unfitness for the role.
    — Gideon Lewis-Kraus, New Yorker, 20 May 2026
Definition of unfitness
Noun
  • The diaries—particularly in Julian Sachs’s unexpurgated version, which captures Pavese’s alternating earnestness, archness, and pungent vulgarity—pose something of a problem.
    — Max Norman, Harpers Magazine, 22 Sep. 2026
  • Community outrage about the image, along with online posts calling the mayor a host of vulgarities, spilled into a recent council meeting and is inflaming political divisions within College Park.
    — Reed Williams, AJC.com, 21 Sep. 2026
Definition of vulgarity
Noun
  • This is expressed just as her 14-year-old appears to see that her earlier prediction about Carmella’s likelihood of inappropriateness had come true.
    — Peter Larsen, Oc Register, 28 Aug. 2026
Definition of inappropriateness
Noun
  • That's how every criminal statute (including obscenity) works.
    — Robert Steinbuch, Arkansas Online, 18 Sep. 2026
  • This results in a wild stretch of attempts by Mona to give life to the line, building to sheer insane obscenities responsible for the film’s R rating.
    — Pete Hammond, Deadline, 5 Sep. 2026
Definition of obscenity
Noun
  • What readers are saying The comments express frustration and disappointment over the littering and disrespect shown by visitors to national parks, particularly Yellowstone.
    — Andrea Sachs, Washington Post, 30 Sep. 2026
  • The board's vague message didn't point to specific administrators or specific instances of disrespect.
    — Aubrey Wright, IndyStar, 11 Sep. 2026
Definition of disrespect
Noun
  • Kelley pleaded guilty to both the remaining charges of public lewdness and obstructing government operations, according to local news outlet WSFA.
    — Jack Irvin, PEOPLE, 27 Aug. 2026
  • The writing, by Estelle Hoy and Justine Gelfman, was sassy and sharp, and the narrative exuded a whimsical lewdness that cut against the production’s overall slapstick sensibility.
    — Andy Battaglia, ARTnews.com, 7 Aug. 2026
Definition of lewdness
Noun
  • No, the Heat would never go there, a flat-out, from-the-start commitment to lottery odds no matter the unseemliness of it all.
    — Ira Winderman, Sun Sentinel, 21 Feb. 2026
Definition of unseemliness

Browse Nearby Words

indebtedness
indecency
indecent
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Cite this Entry

“Indecency.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/indecency. Accessed 4 Oct. 2026.

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