Profanity

Alternative forms

• prophanity hypercorrect, obsolete

Origin

profane + -ity

Full definition of profanity

Noun

1. (uncountable) The quality of being profane.
   His profanity left the entire audience in shock.
2. (countable) Obscene, lewd or abusive language.
• 2013-06-14, Sam Leith, Where the profound meets the profane, Swearing doesn't just mean what we now understand by "dirty words". It is entwined, in social and linguistic history, with the other sort of swearing: vows and oaths. Consider for a moment the origins of almost any word we have for bad language – "profanity", "curses", "oaths" and "swearing" itself.
3. He ran up and down the street screaming profanities like a madman.