vulgarity

noun

vul·​gar·​i·​ty ˌvəl-ˈger-rə-tē How to pronounce vulgarity (audio)
-ˈga-rə-
plural vulgarities
1
: something vulgar
2
: the quality or state of being vulgar

Examples of vulgarity in a Sentence

a comedian known for her vulgarity I was shocked by the vulgarity of his language. He uttered a vulgarity and was silent. We have a policy against printing vulgarities in our magazine.
Recent Examples on the Web Higher courts often interpret whether cases fall under the protections of the First Amendment. Freedom of speech, including vulgarity, is common in such cases. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2024 The vulgarity and mercilessness that have entered public conversation, and a kind of meagerness and unwillingness to be a source of benefit to the people in the country at large. David Marchese Photograph By Mamadi Doumbouya, New York Times, 15 Feb. 2024 The First Amendment includes the middle finger While other cases had discussed the protection of vulgarity, like giving the middle finger, the 2019 case of Debra Lee Cruise-Gulyas v. Matthew Wayne Minard discussed specifically flipping off a cop. Shaun Goodwin, Idaho Statesman, 10 Feb. 2024 These stories are urging us to be bigger than ourselves, to forget our smallness or vulgarity. Michelle Orange, Harper's Magazine, 12 Dec. 2023 The students then left the classroom and were followed by Reese who shouted vulgarities at them in the hallway, according to the incident report. Antonio Planas, NBC News, 16 Dec. 2023 Early demonstrations showed a chatbot defined less by a connection to cosmic truths than by a willingness to engage in the snark and vulgarity that rival products try to avoid. David Meyer, Fortune, 20 Nov. 2023 And yet: Nighy’s Mack skewers the idea of 21st Century capitalism Christmas, with all its crassness and vulgarity. Stephen Rodrick, Variety, 21 Nov. 2023 What does etiquette say about governing your speech around visitors to your workplace, where using vulgarities is acceptable? Jacobina Martin, Washington Post, 5 Oct. 2023

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'vulgarity.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

First Known Use

1579, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of vulgarity was in 1579

Dictionary Entries Near vulgarity

Cite this Entry

“Vulgarity.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/vulgarity. Accessed 19 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

vulgarity

noun
vul·​gar·​i·​ty ˌvəl-ˈgar-ət-ē How to pronounce vulgarity (audio)
plural vulgarities
1
: the quality or state of being vulgar
2
: something vulgar

More from Merriam-Webster on vulgarity

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