profanity
noun
pro·fan·i·ty
prō-ˈfa-nə-tē 
prə-
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
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 on the Web
The uncensored version was initially available on Peacock Sunday morning but was later replaced with an edited version that removed the profanity.
—
Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
And the American president used profanities over how Israel carried out the war in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Long before that, our Founding Fathers knew the value of profanity.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 3 Apr. 2025
People who swear frequently are sometimes perceived as angry, hostile, or aggressive, so there’s a potential tipping point to using profanity.
—Stacey Colino, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profanity
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Brendan Morrow, USA Today, 7 Apr. 2025
And the American president used profanities over how Israel carried out the war in Gaza in response to the Oct. 7 terrorist attacks by Hamas.
—Luke Broadwater, New York Times, 7 Apr. 2025
Long before that, our Founding Fathers knew the value of profanity.
—Christian Schneider, National Review, 3 Apr. 2025
People who swear frequently are sometimes perceived as angry, hostile, or aggressive, so there’s a potential tipping point to using profanity.
—Stacey Colino, Time, 1 Apr. 2025
See All Example Sentences for profanity
Cite this Entry
“Profanity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/profanity. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.
Copy CitationKids Definition
profanity
noun
pro·fan·i·ty
prō-ˈfan-ət-ē
prə-
plural profanities
1
: the quality or state of being profane
2
: profane language
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