Meanings
plural obscurities
- countableliteraryuncountableDarkness; the absence of light.
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 […], →OCLC1 more example
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 - countableuncountableThe state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown.
She was plucked from obscurity to star in a Broadway musical.
1 more example
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, →OCLCSynonyms: unknownness
- countableuncountableThe quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand.
Synonyms & antonyms
nounThe state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown.
antonym(s) of “the state of being known”
antonym(s) of “the state of being clear”
More synonyms by meaning
nounthe quality of being unclear or abstruse and hard to understand
nounthe state of being indistinct or indefinite for lack of adequate illumination
Synonym sets from Open English WordNet, CC BY 4.0.
Origin
- Latinobscūritās
- Middle Frenchobscurité
- Middle Englishobscurite
- Englishobscurity
From Middle English obscurite, obscuryte, from Middle French obscurité and its etymon Latin obscūritās. By surface analysis, obscure + -ity.
More words from Middle English, Middle French, Latin
Full word history & related roots →Translations
Ancient Greek ἀφάνεια, ἀμαυρότης
- ἀφάνεια (apháneia)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- ἀμαυρότης (amaurótēs)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Arabic إِبْهَام, خَفاء
- إِبْهَام (ʔibhām)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
- خَفاء (ḵafāʔ)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Bulgarian тъмнина, мрак
- тъмнина (tămnina)darkness; the absence of light
- мрак (mrak)darkness; the absence of light
- неизвестност (neizvestnost)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- неразбираемост (nerazbiraemost)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Chinese Mandarin 黑暗
- 黑暗 (hēi'àn)darkness; the absence of light
French obscurité
- obscuritédarkness; the absence of light
Greek σκότος, σκοτεινότητα
- σκότος (skótos)darkness; the absence of light
- σκοτεινότητα (skoteinótita)darkness; the absence of light
- αφάνεια (afáneia)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- ασημότητα (asimótita)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- ταπεινότητα (tapeinótita)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- ασάφεια (asáfeia)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
- θολότητα (tholótita)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Hindi अख्याति, गहनता
- अख्याति (akhyāti)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- गहनता (gahantā)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
- दुर्बोध्यता (durbodhyatā)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Irish aduaine, aduaine
- aduaineThe state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- aduaineThe quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Italian oscurità
- oscuritàdarkness; the absence of light
Japanese 闇, 暗黒
- 闇 (yami)darkness; the absence of light
- 暗黒 (ankoku)darkness; the absence of light
- 無名 (mumei)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
Latin obscūritās
- obscūritāsThe quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Polish mrok, ciemność
- mrokdarkness; the absence of light
- ciemnośćdarkness; the absence of light
Portuguese obscuridade
- obscuridadedarkness; the absence of light
Romanian obscuritate
- obscuritatedarkness; the absence of light
Russian мрак, темнота́
- мрак (mrak)darkness; the absence of light
- темнота́ (temnotá)darkness; the absence of light
- тьма (tʹma)darkness; the absence of light
- неизве́стность (neizvéstnostʹ)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- безве́стность (bezvéstnostʹ)The state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- нея́сность (nejásnostʹ)The quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Spanish oscuridad, obscuridad
- oscuridaddarkness; the absence of light
- obscuridadThe state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- obscuraciónThe state of being unknown; a thing that is unknown
- obscuridadThe quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
- obscuraciónThe quality of being difficult to understand; a thing that is difficult to understand
Cite this entry
obscurity. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurity
“obscurity.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurity. Accessed November 2, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “obscurity,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/obscurity.
Source: obscurity on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.