obscurity

[ uhb-skyoor-i-tee ]

/ əbˈskyʊər ɪ ti /

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See synonyms for obscurity on Thesaurus.com

noun, plural ob·scu·ri·ties.

the state or quality of being obscure.

the condition of being unknown: He lived in obscurity for years before winning acclaim.

uncertainty of meaning or expression; ambiguity.

an unknown or unimportant person or thing.

darkness; dimness; indistinctness.

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His boss, whom he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

His boss, who he admires, is waiting to meet with him about the big project.

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Origin of obscurity

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

OTHER WORDS FROM obscurity

non·ob·scu·ri·ty, noun, plural non·ob·scu·ri·ties.

Words nearby obscurity

obscurant, obscurantism, obscuration, obscure, obscurely, obscurity, obscurum per obscurius, obsecrate, obsequence, obsequent, obsequent stream

How to use obscurity in a sentence

She was an unheralded pioneer of electronic music, recognized for her contributions only after decades of obscurity, and a believer in the power of the mind to access memories from distant pasts and visions of untold futures.
Pauline Anna Strom’s posthumous album cements her legacy as an electronic music visionary|Jonathan Williger|February 19, 2021|Washington Post
Struum has correctly identified a problem in the modern streaming landscape, in terms of large amount of untapped content now distributed across hundreds of smaller services, much of which lingers in obscurity.
Former Disney and Discovery execs to launch Struum, a ‘ClassPass for streaming services’|Sarah Perez|January 7, 2021|TechCrunch
Maybe most of this no-name defense will continue to toil in obscurity.
The Dolphins Are Making A Name For Themselves With Their No-Name Defense|Ty Schalter|December 17, 2020|FiveThirtyEight
In many respects, Kenosha has managed to do just that—making it a relative success story in a nation where so many formerly auto-dependent Midwestern economies have faded into obscurity.
Kenosha’s unusual economic evolution made it the perfect political flashpoint|reymashayekhi|September 5, 2020|Fortune

Seemingly unstoppable sites have faded into obscurity and replacements taken over.
TikTok made him famous. Now he’s imagining a world without it|Abby Ohlheiser|August 14, 2020|MIT Technology Review
Some of the authors most revered by their contemporaries now languish in relative obscurity.
The Birth of the Novel|Nick Romeo|November 27, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Ordinarily, candidates have years to work out their global agendas in relative obscurity.
Rand Paul Channels Malala to Bash Obama|Olivia Nuzzi|October 23, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Instead, they will be at best a stale and bitter punchline of our times and then fade, unloved, into obscurity.
A Brief History of Wingnuts in America; From George Washington to Woodstock|John Avlon|August 17, 2014|DAILY BEAST
“Mencius Moldbug” slowed down the writing to a trickle and returned to relative obscurity in 2013.
Occupying the Throne: Justine Tunney, Neoreactionaries, and the New 1%|Arthur Chu|August 1, 2014|DAILY BEAST
Then they lose and return to obscurity, serving in state or local office.
Losing a Senate Race Was Just the Start of Josh Mandel’s Bad News|Ben Jacobs|June 10, 2014|DAILY BEAST
It was true that his sight had grown accustomed to the obscurity, for he could now see the baron's features much more distinctly.
Checkmate|Joseph Sheridan Le Fanu
And in that day the deaf shall hear the words of the book, and out of darkness and obscurity the eyes of the blind shall see.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
For the house is forsaken, the multitude of the city is left, darkness and obscurity are come upon its dens for ever.
The Bible, Douay-Rheims Version|Various
Lifted to the skies for an hour by popular adulation, he has been sunk into obscurity ever since by historic contempt.
Blackwood's Edinburgh Magazine, No. CCCXXXIX. January, 1844. Vol. LV.|Various
And respectable obscurity has ever been the distinguishing characteristic of Godalming.
The Portsmouth Road and Its Tributaries|Charles G. Harper

British Dictionary definitions for obscurity

obscurity

/ (əbˈskjʊərɪtɪ) /

noun plural -ties

the state or quality of being obscure

an obscure person or thing

Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

obscurity

Origin of obscurity

OTHER WORDS FROM obscurity

Words nearby obscurity

Words related to obscurity

How to use obscurity in a sentence

British Dictionary definitions for obscurity