"obscurity" meaning in English

See obscurity in All languages combined, or Wiktionary

Noun

IPA: /əbˈskjʊəɹɪti/ [Received-Pronunciation], /əbˈskjɔːɹɪti/ [Received-Pronunciation], /əbˈskjʊɹɪti/ [General-American], /əbˈskjɝɪti/ [General-American] Audio: En-us-obscurity.ogg Forms: obscurities [plural]
Etymology: From Middle English obscurite, obscuryte, from Middle French obscurité and its etymon Latin obscūritās. By surface analysis, obscure + -ity. Etymology templates: {{root|en|ine-pro|*(s)ḱeh₃-}}, {{inh|en|enm|obscurite}} Middle English obscurite, {{der|en|frm|obscurité}} Middle French obscurité, {{der|en|la|obscūritās}} Latin obscūritās, {{surf|en|obscure|-ity}} By surface analysis, obscure + -ity Head templates: {{en-noun|~}} obscurity (countable and uncountable, plural obscurities)
  1. (literary) Darkness; the absence of light. Tags: countable, literary, uncountable Translations (darkness; the absence of light): escuridá [feminine] (Asturian), тъмнина (tǎmnina) [feminine] (Bulgarian), мрак (mrak) [masculine] (Bulgarian), obscurité [feminine] (French), σκότος (skótos) [neuter] (Greek), σκοτεινότητα (skoteinótita) [feminine] (Greek), oscurità [feminine] (Italian), (yami) (Japanese), 暗黒 (ankoku) (Japanese), mrok [masculine] (Polish), ciemność [feminine] (Polish), obscuridade [feminine] (Portuguese), obscuritate [feminine] (Romanian), мрак (mrak) [masculine] (Russian), темнота́ (temnotá) [feminine] (Russian), тьма (tʹma) [feminine] (Russian), oscuridad [feminine] (Spanish), taǧǧest [feminine] (Tarifit)
    Sense id: en-obscurity-en-noun-F-tH~3db Disambiguation of 'darkness; the absence of light': 96 2 2
  2. The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown. Tags: countable, uncountable Synonyms (the state of being unknown): unknownness Translations (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown): ἀφάνεια (apháneia) [feminine] (Ancient Greek), неизвестност (neizvestnost) [feminine] (Bulgarian), αφάνεια (afáneia) [feminine] (Greek), ασημότητα (asimótita) [feminine] (Greek), ταπεινότητα (tapeinótita) [feminine] (Greek), अख्याति (akhyāti) (Hindi), aduaine [feminine] (Irish), 無名 (mumei) (Japanese), неизве́стность (neizvéstnostʹ) [feminine] (Russian), безве́стность (bezvéstnostʹ) [feminine] (Russian), obscuridad [feminine] (Spanish), obscuración [feminine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-obscurity-en-noun-cbnoVyr3 Categories (other): English entries with incorrect language header, English terms suffixed with -ity, Entries with translation boxes, Pages with 1 entry, Pages with entries, Terms with Ancient Greek translations, Terms with Arabic translations, Terms with Asturian translations, Terms with Bulgarian translations, Terms with French translations, Terms with Greek translations, Terms with Hindi translations, Terms with Irish translations, Terms with Italian translations, Terms with Japanese translations, Terms with Latin translations, Terms with Polish translations, Terms with Portuguese translations, Terms with Romanian translations, Terms with Russian translations, Terms with Spanish translations, Terms with Tarifit translations Disambiguation of English entries with incorrect language header: 9 73 18 Disambiguation of English terms suffixed with -ity: 9 68 23 Disambiguation of Entries with translation boxes: 4 86 11 Disambiguation of Pages with 1 entry: 6 81 13 Disambiguation of Pages with entries: 4 87 9 Disambiguation of Terms with Ancient Greek translations: 8 54 38 Disambiguation of Terms with Arabic translations: 7 73 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Asturian translations: 7 73 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Bulgarian translations: 10 71 20 Disambiguation of Terms with French translations: 8 79 14 Disambiguation of Terms with Greek translations: 6 64 30 Disambiguation of Terms with Hindi translations: 7 71 22 Disambiguation of Terms with Irish translations: 7 73 21 Disambiguation of Terms with Italian translations: 7 81 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Japanese translations: 7 81 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Latin translations: 7 81 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Polish translations: 6 75 19 Disambiguation of Terms with Portuguese translations: 11 71 18 Disambiguation of Terms with Romanian translations: 7 73 20 Disambiguation of Terms with Russian translations: 6 83 11 Disambiguation of Terms with Spanish translations: 5 83 12 Disambiguation of Terms with Tarifit translations: 7 81 12 Disambiguation of 'the state of being unknown': 2 94 3 Disambiguation of 'The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown': 1 94 5
  3. The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand. Tags: countable, uncountable Translations (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand): ἀμαυρότης (amaurótēs) [feminine] (Ancient Greek), إِبْهَام (ʔibhām) [masculine] (Arabic), неразбираемост (nerazbiraemost) [feminine] (Bulgarian), ασάφεια (asáfeia) [feminine] (Greek), θολότητα (tholótita) [feminine] (Greek), गहनता (gahantā) (Hindi), दुर्बोध्यता (durbodhyatā) (Hindi), aduaine [feminine] (Irish), obscūritās [feminine] (Latin), нея́сность (nejásnostʹ) [feminine] (Russian), obscuridad [feminine] (Spanish), obscuración [feminine] (Spanish)
    Sense id: en-obscurity-en-noun-Hiv13z02 Disambiguation of 'The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand': 1 2 97
The following are not (yet) sense-disambiguated
Derived forms: security through obscurity Related terms: obscure

Inflected forms

{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of “the state of being known”",
      "word": "fame"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of “the state of being clear”",
      "word": "clarity"
    }
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "security through obscurity"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "obscurite"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English obscurite",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "obscurité"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French obscurité",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "obscūritās"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin obscūritās",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "obscure",
        "3": "-ity"
      },
      "expansion": "By surface analysis, obscure + -ity",
      "name": "surf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English obscurite, obscuryte, from Middle French obscurité and its etymon Latin obscūritās. By surface analysis, obscure + -ity.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "obscurities",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "obscurity (countable and uncountable, plural obscurities)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "ob‧scur‧ity"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "_dis1": "0 0 0",
      "word": "obscure"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 6, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:",
          "text": "The night was considerably clearer than anybody on board her desired when the schooner Ventura headed for the land. It rose in places, black and sharp against the velvety indigo, over her dipping bow, though most of the low littoral was wrapped in obscurity.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 24”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "I walked in, and Stroeve followed me. The room was in darkness. I could only see that it was an attic, with a sloping roof; and a faint glimmer, no more than a less profound obscurity, came from a skylight.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Darkness; the absence of light."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscurity-en-noun-F-tH~3db",
      "links": [
        [
          "Darkness",
          "darkness"
        ],
        [
          "absence",
          "absence"
        ],
        [
          "light",
          "light"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literary) Darkness; the absence of light."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "literary",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ast",
          "lang": "Asturian",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "escuridá"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "tǎmnina",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "тъмнина"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "mrak",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мрак"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "fr",
          "lang": "French",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "obscurité"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "skótos",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "neuter"
          ],
          "word": "σκότος"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "skoteinótita",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "σκοτεινότητα"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "it",
          "lang": "Italian",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "oscurità"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "yami",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "word": "闇"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "ankoku",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "word": "暗黒"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "mrok"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "pl",
          "lang": "Polish",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ciemność"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "pt",
          "lang": "Portuguese",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "obscuridade"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ro",
          "lang": "Romanian",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "obscuritate"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "mrak",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "мрак"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "temnotá",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "темнота́"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "tʹma",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "тьма"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "oscuridad"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "96 2 2",
          "code": "rif",
          "lang": "Tarifit",
          "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "taǧǧest"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        {
          "_dis": "9 73 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English entries with incorrect language header",
          "parents": [
            "Entries with incorrect language header",
            "Entry maintenance"
          ],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "9 68 23",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "English terms suffixed with -ity",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 86 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Entries with translation boxes",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 81 13",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with 1 entry",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "4 87 9",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Pages with entries",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 54 38",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Ancient Greek translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 73 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Arabic translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 73 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Asturian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "10 71 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "8 79 14",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with French translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 64 30",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Greek translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 71 22",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Hindi translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 73 21",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Irish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 81 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Italian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 81 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Japanese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 81 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Latin translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 75 19",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Polish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "11 71 18",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Portuguese translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 73 20",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Romanian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "6 83 11",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Russian translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "5 83 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Spanish translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        },
        {
          "_dis": "7 81 12",
          "kind": "other",
          "name": "Terms with Tarifit translations",
          "parents": [],
          "source": "w+disamb"
        }
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:",
          "text": "The departure was not unduly prolonged.[…]Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments[…]; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscurity-en-noun-cbnoVyr3",
      "links": [
        [
          "unknown",
          "unknown"
        ]
      ],
      "synonyms": [
        {
          "_dis1": "2 94 3",
          "sense": "the state of being unknown",
          "word": "unknownness"
        }
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "neizvestnost",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "неизвестност"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "afáneia",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "αφάνεια"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "asimótita",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ασημότητα"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "tapeinótita",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ταπεινότητα"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "apháneia",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ἀφάνεια"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "hi",
          "lang": "Hindi",
          "roman": "akhyāti",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "word": "अख्याति"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "aduaine"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "ja",
          "lang": "Japanese",
          "roman": "mumei",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "word": "無名"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "neizvéstnostʹ",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "неизве́стность"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "bezvéstnostʹ",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "безве́стность"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "obscuridad"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 94 5",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "obscuración"
        }
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand."
      ],
      "id": "en-obscurity-en-noun-Hiv13z02",
      "links": [
        [
          "difficult",
          "difficult"
        ],
        [
          "understand",
          "understand"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ],
      "translations": [
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "ar",
          "lang": "Arabic",
          "roman": "ʔibhām",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "masculine"
          ],
          "word": "إِبْهَام"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "bg",
          "lang": "Bulgarian",
          "roman": "nerazbiraemost",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "неразбираемост"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "asáfeia",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ασάφεια"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "el",
          "lang": "Greek",
          "roman": "tholótita",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "θολότητα"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "grc",
          "lang": "Ancient Greek",
          "roman": "amaurótēs",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "ἀμαυρότης"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "hi",
          "lang": "Hindi",
          "roman": "gahantā",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "word": "गहनता"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "hi",
          "lang": "Hindi",
          "roman": "durbodhyatā",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "word": "दुर्बोध्यता"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "ga",
          "lang": "Irish",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "aduaine"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "la",
          "lang": "Latin",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "obscūritās"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "ru",
          "lang": "Russian",
          "roman": "nejásnostʹ",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "нея́сность"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "obscuridad"
        },
        {
          "_dis1": "1 2 97",
          "code": "es",
          "lang": "Spanish",
          "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
          "tags": [
            "feminine"
          ],
          "word": "obscuración"
        }
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊəɹɪti/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɔːɹɪti/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊɹɪti/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɝɪti/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-obscurity.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/4a/En-us-obscurity.ogg/En-us-obscurity.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/En-us-obscurity.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "obscurity"
  ],
  "word": "obscurity"
}
{
  "antonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of “the state of being known”",
      "word": "fame"
    },
    {
      "sense": "antonym(s) of “the state of being clear”",
      "word": "clarity"
    }
  ],
  "categories": [
    "English countable nouns",
    "English entries with incorrect language header",
    "English lemmas",
    "English nouns",
    "English terms derived from Latin",
    "English terms derived from Middle English",
    "English terms derived from Middle French",
    "English terms derived from Proto-Indo-European",
    "English terms derived from the Proto-Indo-European root *(s)ḱeh₃-",
    "English terms inherited from Middle English",
    "English terms suffixed with -ity",
    "English uncountable nouns",
    "Entries with translation boxes",
    "Pages with 1 entry",
    "Pages with entries",
    "Requests for review of Irish translations",
    "Terms with Ancient Greek translations",
    "Terms with Arabic translations",
    "Terms with Asturian translations",
    "Terms with Bulgarian translations",
    "Terms with French translations",
    "Terms with Greek translations",
    "Terms with Hindi translations",
    "Terms with Irish translations",
    "Terms with Italian translations",
    "Terms with Japanese translations",
    "Terms with Latin translations",
    "Terms with Polish translations",
    "Terms with Portuguese translations",
    "Terms with Romanian translations",
    "Terms with Russian translations",
    "Terms with Spanish translations",
    "Terms with Tarifit translations"
  ],
  "derived": [
    {
      "word": "security through obscurity"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "ine-pro",
        "3": "*(s)ḱeh₃-"
      },
      "expansion": "",
      "name": "root"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "enm",
        "3": "obscurite"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle English obscurite",
      "name": "inh"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "frm",
        "3": "obscurité"
      },
      "expansion": "Middle French obscurité",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "la",
        "3": "obscūritās"
      },
      "expansion": "Latin obscūritās",
      "name": "der"
    },
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "en",
        "2": "obscure",
        "3": "-ity"
      },
      "expansion": "By surface analysis, obscure + -ity",
      "name": "surf"
    }
  ],
  "etymology_text": "From Middle English obscurite, obscuryte, from Middle French obscurité and its etymon Latin obscūritās. By surface analysis, obscure + -ity.",
  "forms": [
    {
      "form": "obscurities",
      "tags": [
        "plural"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "head_templates": [
    {
      "args": {
        "1": "~"
      },
      "expansion": "obscurity (countable and uncountable, plural obscurities)",
      "name": "en-noun"
    }
  ],
  "hyphenation": [
    "ob‧scur‧ity"
  ],
  "lang": "English",
  "lang_code": "en",
  "pos": "noun",
  "related": [
    {
      "word": "obscure"
    }
  ],
  "senses": [
    {
      "categories": [
        "English literary terms",
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 6, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:",
          "text": "The night was considerably clearer than anybody on board her desired when the schooner Ventura headed for the land. It rose in places, black and sharp against the velvety indigo, over her dipping bow, though most of the low littoral was wrapped in obscurity.",
          "type": "quote"
        },
        {
          "ref": "1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 24”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:",
          "text": "I walked in, and Stroeve followed me. The room was in darkness. I could only see that it was an attic, with a sloping roof; and a faint glimmer, no more than a less profound obscurity, came from a skylight.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "Darkness; the absence of light."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "Darkness",
          "darkness"
        ],
        [
          "absence",
          "absence"
        ],
        [
          "light",
          "light"
        ]
      ],
      "raw_glosses": [
        "(literary) Darkness; the absence of light."
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "literary",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "categories": [
        "English terms with quotations"
      ],
      "examples": [
        {
          "ref": "1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:",
          "text": "The departure was not unduly prolonged.[…]Within the door Mrs. Spoker hastily imparted to Mrs. Love a few final sentiments[…]; a deep, guttural instigation to the horse; and the wheels of the waggonette crunched heavily away into obscurity.",
          "type": "quote"
        }
      ],
      "glosses": [
        "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "unknown",
          "unknown"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    },
    {
      "glosses": [
        "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand."
      ],
      "links": [
        [
          "difficult",
          "difficult"
        ],
        [
          "understand",
          "understand"
        ]
      ],
      "tags": [
        "countable",
        "uncountable"
      ]
    }
  ],
  "sounds": [
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊəɹɪti/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɔːɹɪti/",
      "tags": [
        "Received-Pronunciation"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjʊɹɪti/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "ipa": "/əbˈskjɝɪti/",
      "tags": [
        "General-American"
      ]
    },
    {
      "audio": "En-us-obscurity.ogg",
      "mp3_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/transcoded/4/4a/En-us-obscurity.ogg/En-us-obscurity.ogg.mp3",
      "ogg_url": "https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/4a/En-us-obscurity.ogg"
    }
  ],
  "synonyms": [
    {
      "sense": "the state of being unknown",
      "word": "unknownness"
    }
  ],
  "translations": [
    {
      "code": "ast",
      "lang": "Asturian",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "escuridá"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "tǎmnina",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "тъмнина"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "mrak",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мрак"
    },
    {
      "code": "fr",
      "lang": "French",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "obscurité"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "skótos",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "neuter"
      ],
      "word": "σκότος"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "skoteinótita",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "σκοτεινότητα"
    },
    {
      "code": "it",
      "lang": "Italian",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "oscurità"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "yami",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "word": "闇"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "ankoku",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "word": "暗黒"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "mrok"
    },
    {
      "code": "pl",
      "lang": "Polish",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ciemność"
    },
    {
      "code": "pt",
      "lang": "Portuguese",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "obscuridade"
    },
    {
      "code": "ro",
      "lang": "Romanian",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "obscuritate"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "mrak",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "мрак"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "temnotá",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "темнота́"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "tʹma",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "тьма"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "oscuridad"
    },
    {
      "code": "rif",
      "lang": "Tarifit",
      "sense": "darkness; the absence of light",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "taǧǧest"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "neizvestnost",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "неизвестност"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "afáneia",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "αφάνεια"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "asimótita",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ασημότητα"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "tapeinótita",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ταπεινότητα"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "apháneia",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ἀφάνεια"
    },
    {
      "code": "hi",
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "roman": "akhyāti",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "word": "अख्याति"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "aduaine"
    },
    {
      "code": "ja",
      "lang": "Japanese",
      "roman": "mumei",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "word": "無名"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "neizvéstnostʹ",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "неизве́стность"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "bezvéstnostʹ",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "безве́стность"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "obscuridad"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "obscuración"
    },
    {
      "code": "ar",
      "lang": "Arabic",
      "roman": "ʔibhām",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "masculine"
      ],
      "word": "إِبْهَام"
    },
    {
      "code": "bg",
      "lang": "Bulgarian",
      "roman": "nerazbiraemost",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "неразбираемост"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "asáfeia",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ασάφεια"
    },
    {
      "code": "el",
      "lang": "Greek",
      "roman": "tholótita",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "θολότητα"
    },
    {
      "code": "grc",
      "lang": "Ancient Greek",
      "roman": "amaurótēs",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "ἀμαυρότης"
    },
    {
      "code": "hi",
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "roman": "gahantā",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "word": "गहनता"
    },
    {
      "code": "hi",
      "lang": "Hindi",
      "roman": "durbodhyatā",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "word": "दुर्बोध्यता"
    },
    {
      "code": "ga",
      "lang": "Irish",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "aduaine"
    },
    {
      "code": "la",
      "lang": "Latin",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "obscūritās"
    },
    {
      "code": "ru",
      "lang": "Russian",
      "roman": "nejásnostʹ",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "нея́сность"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "obscuridad"
    },
    {
      "code": "es",
      "lang": "Spanish",
      "sense": "The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand",
      "tags": [
        "feminine"
      ],
      "word": "obscuración"
    }
  ],
  "wikipedia": [
    "obscurity"
  ],
  "word": "obscurity"
}

Download raw JSONL data for obscurity meaning in English (11.5kB)


This page is a part of the kaikki.org machine-readable English dictionary. This dictionary is based on structured data extracted on 2024-12-21 from the enwiktionary dump dated 2024-12-04 using wiktextract (d8cb2f3 and 4e554ae). The data shown on this site has been post-processed and various details (e.g., extra categories) removed, some information disambiguated, and additional data merged from other sources. See the raw data download page for the unprocessed wiktextract data.

If you use this data in academic research, please cite Tatu Ylonen: Wiktextract: Wiktionary as Machine-Readable Structured Data, Proceedings of the 13th Conference on Language Resources and Evaluation (LREC), pp. 1317-1325, Marseille, 20-25 June 2022. Linking to the relevant page(s) under https://kaikki.org would also be greatly appreciated.