pornography

[ pawr-nog-ruh-fee ]
/ pɔrˈnɒg rə fi /

noun

sexually explicit videos, photographs, writings, or the like, whose purpose is to elicit sexual arousal.

Origin of pornography

1840–50; < Greek pornográph(os) writing about harlots ( porno-, combining form of pórnē harlot + -graphos -graph) + -y3

OTHER WORDS FROM pornography

WORDS THAT MAY BE CONFUSED WITH pornography

lewd obscene pornographic profanatory profane

Words nearby pornography

Example sentences from the Web for pornography

British Dictionary definitions for pornography

pornography
/ (pɔːˈnɒɡrəfɪ) /

noun

writings, pictures, films, etc, designed to stimulate sexual excitement
the production of such material
Sometimes (informal) shortened to: porn, porno

Derived forms of pornography

pornographer, noun pornographic (ˌpɔːnəˈɡræfɪk), adjective pornographically, adverb

Word Origin for pornography

C19: from Greek pornographos writing of harlots, from pornē a harlot + graphein to write

Cultural definitions for pornography

pornography

Books, photographs, magazines, art, or music designed to excite sexual impulses and considered by public authorities or public opinion as in violation of accepted standards of sexual morality. American courts have not yet settled on a satisfactory definition of what constitutes pornographic material. (See obscenity.)