obscurity

C2+ Topic:Abstract Ideas

US /əbˈskjʊrɪti/ UK /əbˈskjʊərɪti/ See IPA manual

Meanings

1

noun
the state of being unknown, unimportant, or difficult to understand

The poet died in obscurity, only to be celebrated a century later.

Thesaurus

Synonyms

1 noun · the state of being unknown,... anonymity insignificance unimportance ambiguity darkness vagueness

Opposites

fame prominence clarity renown celebrity

Word family

Related forms obscure obscurely obscurantism

Etymology

From Old French obscurite, from Latin obscuritas ('darkness, indistinctness'), from obscurus ('dark, covered').

obscuritas Latin obscurus Latin

View etymology graph ->

Topics

Abstract Ideas Word Formation & Derivatives

External links

# obscurity

**Type:** Word
**Level:** C2+
**Part of speech:** noun
**IPA (US):** /əbˈskjʊrɪti/
**IPA (UK):** /əbˈskjʊərɪti/

## Meanings
1. the state of being unknown, unimportant, or difficult to understand

## Examples
- The poet died in obscurity, only to be celebrated a century later.

## Synonyms
- anonymity
- insignificance
- unimportance
- ambiguity
- darkness
- vagueness

## Antonyms
- fame
- prominence
- clarity
- renown
- celebrity

## Related Forms
- obscure
- obscurely
- obscurantism

## Roots and Affixes
- Root: obscuritas
- Root: obscurus

## Etymology
From Old French obscurite, from Latin obscuritas ('darkness, indistinctness'), from obscurus ('dark, covered').

## AI Etymology
Obscurity is from Old French obscurite, from Latin obscuritas ('darkness, indistinctness'), from obscurus ('dark, covered'). Important recorded forms include obscuritas (Latin) and obscurus (Latin). The modern sense follows that older lexical line closely. In current use it covers the state of being unknown, unimportant, or difficult to understand. The wider family includes related words such as obscure, obscurely, and obscurantism.

## Topics
- Abstract Ideas
- Word Formation & Derivatives

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