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 One of the play’s best scenes captures the early banter of the two men, full of vulgarities, malapropisms and cultural misunderstandings. Randy McMullen, The Mercury News, 23 Mar. 2024 And the influence extended to conservative culture, where evangelical norms against vulgarity were rarely challenged in public. Ruth Graham, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 But for some conservative Christians, the stakes of the moment are now high enough that a certain amount of vulgarity is not just tolerated, but also required as a form of truth-telling worthy of the prophets. Ruth Graham, New York Times, 17 Mar. 2024 The concept of vulgarity belonged to an unfair and ridiculous and long-gone world of discrimination. Joseph O’Neill, The New Yorker, 11 Mar. 2024 Where did that bracing string of words, with its blend of vulnerability and vulgarity, come from? Liam Hess, Vogue, 4 Mar. 2024 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 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 24 Apr. 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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