Dictionary

obscurity en · NOUN

Pronunciation

• /əbˈskjʊɹɪti/ (General-American)
• /əbˈskjɔːɹɪti/ (Received-Pronunciation)
• (US) audio
• /əbˈskjɝɪti/ (General-American)
• /əbˈskjʊəɹɪti/ (Received-Pronunciation)

Etymology

From Middle English obscurite, obscuryte, from Middle French obscurité and its etymon Latin obscūritās. By surface analysis, obscure + -ity.

Meanings

1. (countable, literary, uncountable) Darkness; the absence of light.
   • 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. 1907 January, Harold Bindloss, chapter 6, in The Dust of Conflict, 1st Canadian edition, Toronto, Ont.: McLeod & Allen, →OCLC:
   • 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. 1919, W[illiam] Somerset Maugham, “chapter 24”, in The Moon and Sixpence, [New York, N.Y.]: Grosset & Dunlap Publishers […], →OCLC:
2. (countable, uncountable) The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown.
   • 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. 1921, Ben Travers, chapter 5, in A Cuckoo in the Nest, Garden City, N.Y.: Doubleday, Page & Company, published 1925, →OCLC:
   • She was plucked from obscurity to star in a Broadway musical.
3. (countable, uncountable) The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand.

Forms

Antonyms

clarity (antonym(s) of “the state of being clear”) · fame (antonym(s) of “the state of being known”)

Deriveds

semiobscurity · security through obscurity · nonobscurity

Relateds

obscure

Synonyms

unknownness (the state of being unknown)

Translations (44)

fr obscurité (darkness; the absence of light) · grc ἀφάνεια (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · hi दुर्बोध्यता (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · ja 無名 (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · ga aduaine (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · cmn 黑暗 (darkness; the absence of light) · es obscuración (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · ja 闇 (darkness; the absence of light) · ar خَفاء (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · es obscuridad (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · el ασάφεια (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · es obscuridad (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · es obscuración (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · ru нея́сность (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · pl mrok (darkness; the absence of light) · ru темнота́ (darkness; the absence of light) · bg тъмнина (darkness; the absence of light) · grc ἀμαυρότης (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · el αφάνεια (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · ru тьма (darkness; the absence of light) · ar إِبْهَام (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · el θολότητα (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · ja 暗黒 (darkness; the absence of light) · rif taǧǧest (darkness; the absence of light) · bg неизвестност (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · el σκότος (darkness; the absence of light) · el ταπεινότητα (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · el σκοτεινότητα (darkness; the absence of light) · ast escuridá (darkness; the absence of light) · el ασημότητα (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · ru неизве́стность (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · bg неразбираемост (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · it oscurità (darkness; the absence of light) · ro obscuritate (darkness; the absence of light) · hi अख्याति (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · hi गहनता (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand) · ru мрак (darkness; the absence of light) · bg мрак (darkness; the absence of light) · ru безве́стность (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · ga aduaine (The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown) · es oscuridad (darkness; the absence of light) · pt obscuridade (darkness; the absence of light) · pl ciemność (darkness; the absence of light) · la obscūritās (The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand)