Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • noun Sexually explicit writing, images, video, or other material whose primary purpose is to cause sexual arousal.
  • noun Lurid or sensational material. Often used in combination.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • noun A description of or treatise on prostitutes or prostitution; hence, obscene writing.

from the GNU version of the Collaborative International Dictionary of English.

  • noun Licentious painting or literature; especially, the painting anciently employed to decorate the walls of rooms devoted to bacchanalian orgies.
  • noun (Med.) A treatise on prostitutes, or prostitution.
  • noun obscene pictures, writings, drawings, motion pictures, videos, or the like intended primarily to cause sexual arousal and having little or no artistic merit; also, the content of such materials.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • noun The graphic, detailed, often gratuitous depiction of something.

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • noun creative activity (writing or pictures or films etc.) of no literary or artistic value other than to stimulate sexual desire

Etymologies

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 4th Edition

[French pornographie, from pornographe, pornographer, from Late Greek pornographos, writing about prostitutes : pornē, prostitute; see per- in Indo-European roots + graphein, to write; see –graphy.]

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

From Ancient Greek πορνογράφος (pornographos), from πόρνη (pornē, "prostitute") + γράφω (graphō, "I write").

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Examples

  • Sexual gratification in pornography is not a function of emotional attachment, of kindness, of caring, and especially not of continuance of the relationship, as such continuance would translate into responsibilities, curtailments, and costs.

    Calling Bullshit on the War On Porn « Skid Roche 2008

  • We are supposed to believe that the coming together of the family in pornography is a major step forward.

    Little Miss Sunshine: A Dark Cloud Over America Linda 2007

  • We are supposed to believe that the coming together of the family in pornography is a major step forward.

    Archive 2007-03-01 Linda 2007

  • Many feminists are equally critical of the soft-core porn movies available at local video stores and on cable TV, arguing that the violence in pornography is often covert (and they include mainstream advertising images in their slide shows).

    Feminists Against the First Amendment 1992

  • Many feminists are equally critical of the soft-core porn movies available at local video stores and on cable TV, arguing that the violence in pornography is often covert (and they include mainstream advertising images in their slide shows).

    Feminists Against the First Amendment 1992

  • They also, unsurprisingly, inspired the word "pornography" - although not quite in the sense that we understand it today.

    Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph Michael Deacon 2012

  • "The term pornography is used on the passenger card as it is more recognisable to the travelling public than the term objectionable material," a Customs spokesman said.

    Latest News - Yahoo!7 News 2010

  • The word pornography derives from the Greek word porn, meaning prostitution, and graphier, meaning to write, and so it means to write of prostitution.

    Conservapedia - Recent changes [en] 2009

  • While Imus, Stern, and the rappers are what I call pornography audio style, they have not had anywhere near the affect on the political discourse in this country as the hate mongers on right wing political media.

    Sheldon Drobny: Hate Radio And The MSM 2008

  • While Imus, Stern, and the rappers are what I call pornography audio style, they have not had anywhere near the affect on the political discourse in this country as the hate mongers on right wing political media.

    The MSM And Hate Radio 2007

Comments

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  • I'm surprised Wordie hasn't had anything to say about this, yet.

    October 17, 2007

  • That's because we strive to maintain an air of dignity and sophistication on this board. *cough*

    October 17, 2007

  • "Google's giant computer brain has decided that someone looking at 'pornography' might also enjoy..."

    October 17, 2007

  • Har! Wish I'd said that, U.

    October 17, 2007

  • Word games. People looking at pornography just love those word games. Says gooble.

    October 17, 2007

  • Now that is funny. Maybe having those ads up there is actually an asset, entertainment-wise.

    October 17, 2007

  • An example from history (not really) here.

    October 7, 2008

  • "In modern times the term 'pornography' connotes mediocrity, commercialism, and certain strict rules of narration. Obscenity must be mated with banality because every kind of aesthetic enjoyment has to be entirely replaced by simple sexual stimulation which demands the traditional word for direct action on the patient. … Thus, in pornographic novels, action has to be limited to the copulation of clichés. Style, structure, imagery should never distract the reader from his tepid lust."

    — Vladimir Nabokov, "On a Book Entitled Lolita"

    February 5, 2012

  • The depiction of acts in a sensational manner so as to arouse a quick intense emotional reaction.

    October 31, 2015