Nearby Words

obscurity

[uhb-skyoor-i-tee] Example Sentences Origin

ob·scu·ri·ty

[uhb-skyoor-i-tee]
noun, plural -ties.
1.
the state or quality of being obscure.
2.
the condition of being unknown: He lived in obscurity for years before winning acclaim.
3.
uncertainty of meaning or expression; ambiguity.
4.
an unknown or unimportant person or thing.
5.
darkness; dimness; indistinctness.

Origin:
1470–80; late Middle English < Middle French obscurite < Latin obscūritās, equivalent to obscūr(us) obscure + -itās -ity

non·ob·scu·ri·ty, noun, plural -ties.
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2012.
Cite This Source Link To obscurity

:10

:09

:08

:07

:06

:05

:04

:03

:02

:01

Obscurity is always a great word to know.
So is quincunx. Does it mean:
an arrangement of five objects, as trees, in a square or rectangle, one at each corner and one in the middle.
the offspring of a zebra and a donkey.
Example Sentences
  • Jabez's obscurity makes him ideal for the narrative of conversion and redemption.
  • And yet as he keeps piling up the inventions and awards, his relative obscurity in wider society worries him.
  • But beyond that everything remains shrouded in obscurity.
EXPAND
Collins
World English Dictionary
obscurity (əbˈskjʊərɪtɪ)
 
n , pl -ties
1.  the state or quality of being obscure
2.  an obscure person or thing

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 10th Edition
2009 © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009
Cite This Source
Etymonline
Word Origin & History

obscurity
late 15c., "absence of light;" 1619 with meaning "condition of being unknown;" from obscure + -ity.
Online Etymology Dictionary, © 2010 Douglas Harper
Cite This Source
Dictionary.com, LLC. Copyright © 2012. All rights reserved.
  • Please Login or Sign Up to use the Recent Searches feature