English Meaning & Definitions
Blasphemous or obscene language; swearing or cursing.
- “The film was rated R for strong language and frequent profanity.”
- “He muttered a profanity under his breath when he dropped the heavy box.”
The quality of being profane; irreverence toward sacred things.
- “The priest was deeply offended by the profanity displayed in the ancient manuscript.”
- “Her speech was criticized for its casual profanity regarding traditional values.”
Comprehensive Thesaurus Breakdown
Compare formal, informal, literary synonyms and register nuances for “profanity”.
Late Middle English: from Latin profanitas, from profanus 'unholy, profane' (from pro- 'before, outside of' + fanum 'temple'). Originally denoting a condition of being outside the temple or unholy, the meaning evolved to refer to secular or irreverent language, and eventually to obscene or swearing language.
Think of someone being 'pro-fan' of using dirty words when they get angry.
Frequently Asked Questions About “profanity”
1. What is the meaning of “profanity” in English?
In English, profanity (noun) is defined as: “Blasphemous or obscene language; swearing or cursing.”.
2. How do you use “profanity” in a sentence?
“The film was rated R for strong language and frequent profanity.”
3. What are English synonyms of “profanity”?
4. What is the etymology and word origin of “profanity”?
Late Middle English: from Latin profanitas, from profanus 'unholy, profane' (from pro- 'before, outside of' + fanum 'temple'). Originally denoting a condition of being outside the temple or unholy, the meaning evolved to refer to secular or irreverent language, and eventually to obscene or swearing language.
🇬🇧More English Words to English
View all English words →A measurement of time indicating an instantaneous occurrence or a state where no time has elapsed.
The base unit of time in the International System of Units (SI), equal to the duration of 9,192,631,770 periods of the radiation corresponding to the transition between the two hyperfine levels of the ground state of the caesium-133 atom.
A specific duration of time equal to one hour and forty-six minutes and twelve seconds.
The cardinal number equal to one thousand million (1,000,000,000), expressed in scientific notation as 10^9.