Word Study
obscenity
CIDE DICTIONARY
obscenity, n. [L. obscentias: cf. F. obscénité.].
That quality in words or things which presents what is offensive to chastity or purity of mind; obscene or impure lanquage or acts; moral impurity; lewdness; obsceneness; as, the obscenity of a speech, or a picture. [1913 Webster]
"Mr. Cowley asserts plainly, that obscenity has no place in wit." [1913 Webster]
"No pardon vile obscenity should find." [1913 Webster]
OXFORD DICTIONARY
obscenity, n. (pl. -ies)
1 the state or quality of being obscene.
2 an obscene action, word, etc.
1 the state or quality of being obscene.
2 an obscene action, word, etc.
Etymology
L obscaenitas (as OBSCENE)
THESAURUS
obscenity
Rabelaisianism, X-rated movie, abominability, animality, bad language, baseness, bawdiness, bawdry, beastliness, billingsgate, blue language, blue movie, carnality, clitoromania, coarseness, colorful language, concupiscence, contemptibility, contrariety, crassness, crudeness, crudity, curse, cursing, cuss, cuss word, cussing, despicability, despicableness, dirt, dirtiness, dirty language, dirty movie, dirty name, dirty talk, dirty word, disgustingness, dysphemism, earthiness, epithet, erotic art, erotic literature, eroticism, eroticomania, erotographomania, erotomania, evil speaking, expletive, fescenninity, filth, filthiness, filthy language, fleshliness, foul invective, foul language, foulness, fulsomeness, furor uterinus, gaudiness, goatishness, grossness, gynecomania, harshness, hatefulness, heinousness, horniness, hysteromania, iconolagny, ignobility, lasciviousness, lecherousness, lechery, lewdness, libidinousness, lickerishness, loathsomeness, loudness, lubriciousness, lubricity, lust, lustfulness, meretriciousness, nastiness, naughty word, nauseousness, no-no, noisomeness, noxiousness, nymphomania, oath, objectionability, objectionableness, obnoxiousness, odiousness, offensiveness, pornographic art, pornographic literature, pornographomania, pornography, profane oath, profane swearing, profanity, prurience, pruriency, putridity, putridness, randiness, rawness, rebarbativeness, repellence, repellency, repugnance, repulsiveness, ribaldry, rottenness, roughness, rudeness, salaciousness, salacity, satyriasis, satyrism, scatology, scurrility, sensuality, sexiness, sexploitation, sexuality, skin flick, smut, smuttiness, soft-core pornography, stag film, strong language, swearing, swearword, unparliamentary language, unrepeatable expressions, unspeakableness, uteromania, vile language, vileness, vulgar languageROGET THESAURUS
obscenity
Neologism
N neology, neologism, newfangled expression, nonce expression, back-formation, caconym, barbarism, archaism, black letter, monkish Latin, corruption, missaying, malapropism, antiphrasis, pun, paranomasia, play upon words, word play, double- entendre, palindrome, paragram, anagram, clinch, abuse of language, abuse of terms, dialect, brogue, idiom, accent, patois, provincialism, regionalism, localism, broken English, lingua franca, Anglicism, Briticism, Gallicism, Scotticism, Hibernicism, Americanism, Gypsy lingo, Romany, pidgin, pidgin English, pigeon English, Volapuk, Chinook, Esperanto, Hindustani, kitchen Kaffir, dog Latin, macaronics, gibberish, confusion of tongues, Babel, babu English, chi-chi, figure of speech, byword, colloquialism, informal speech, informal language, substandard language, vernacular, vulgar language, obscene language, obscenity, vulgarity, jargon, technical terms, technicality, lingo, slang, cant, argot, St. Gile's Greek, thieves' Latin, peddler's French, flash tongue, Billingsgate, Wall Street slang, pseudology, pseudonym, Mr, So-and-so, wha d'ye call 'em, whatchacallim, what's his name, thingummy, thingumbob, je ne sais quoi, neologist, coiner of words, neologic, neological, archaic, obsolete, colloquial, Anglice.Impurity
N impurity, uncleanness, immodesty, grossness, indelicacy, indecency, impudicity, obscenity, ribaldry, Fescennine, smut, bawdry, double entente, equivoque, concupiscence, lust, carnality, flesh, salacity, pruriency, lechery, lasciviency, lubricity, Sadism, sapphism, incontinence, intrigue, faux pas, amour, amourette, gallantry, debauchery, libertinish, libertinage, fornication, liaison, wenching, venery, dissipation, seduction, defloration, defilement, abuse, violation, rape, incest, prostitution, social evil, harlotry, stupration, whoredom, concubinage, cuckoldom, adultery, advoutry, crim, con, free love, seraglio, harem, brothel, bagnio, stew, bawdyhouse, cat house, lupanar, house of ill fame, bordel, bordello, impure, unclean, not to be mentioned to ears polite, immodest, shameless, indecorous, indelicate, indecent, Fescennine, loose, risque, coarse, gross, broad, free, equivocal, smutty, fulsome, ribald, obscene, bawdy, pornographic, concupiscent, prurient, lickerish, rampant, lustful, carnal, carnal-minded, lewd, lascivious, lecherous, libidinous, erotic, ruttish, salacious, Paphian, voluptuous, goatish, must, musty, unchaste, light, wanton, licentious, debauched, dissolute, of loose character, of easy virtue, frail, gay, riggish, incontinent, meretricious, rakish, gallant, dissipated, no better than she should be, on the town, on the streets, on the pave, on the loose, adulterous, incestuous, bestial.For further exploring for "obscenity" in Webster Dictionary Online