pornography
pornography Lexical Profile
pornography Game Scores & Validity
• noun
Printed or visual material containing the explicit description or display of sexual organs or activity, intended to stimulate sexual excitement.
"The legal debate centered on whether restrictions on internet pornography violated constitutional protections for free speech."
The sensational, lurid, or overly indulgent depiction of a non-sexual subject calculated to appeal to a strong appetite, fascination, or craving.
"Critics dismissed the violent film as mere torture pornography rather than serious cinema."
Word Nuance & Usage
'Pornography' is often distinguished from 'erotica,' with the former emphasizing explicit depiction intended primarily for physical arousal and the latter suggesting an artistic or aesthetic portrayal of sensual themes.
• Rhymes for pornography
• Nearby Words
Word Origin & Etymology
Borrowed in the mid-19th century from French 'pornographie', from Ancient Greek 'pornographos' (writing about prostitutes), combining 'pornē' (prostitute, originally 'bought', from 'pernēmi', to sell) and 'graphein' (to write).