Ribaldness

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Characteristics of a humorous or risqué style that often tends to be indecent or suggestive in nature; being openly coarse or vulgar in language or demeanor; the quality of being scandalously funny while also bordering on obscenity or impropriety
2. A trait associated with playful and irreverent humor that includes lewd or bawdy elements; the open expression of vulgarity or indecency in comedic contexts; an aspect of humor that may invoke shock while still aiming to amuse
3. An attribute of wit that challenges societal norms through a humorous lens, often incorporating sexual innuendo or crude jokes; the tendency to use indecent or offensive language in jest; the nature of comedy that offers a blend of humor and audacity that can provoke both laughter and offense

Etymology: "Ribaldness" is "ribald" with the suffix "-ness," which turns an adjective into a noun for a quality. The adjective itself has a more concrete history than its modern sense suggests. It comes from Middle English "ribaud," a word borrowed from Old French meaning a lewd or low-living man, and the Old French word is related to "ribault," a term for a menial servant or camp follower. Over time the sense shifted from a person of low status to one given to coarse, bawdy talk. The suffix is the easy part. English has attached "-ness" to adjectives since Old English, so "ribaldness" is a transparent formation: the quality of being ribald. The noun is recorded in English later than the adjective, and it follows the familiar pattern of abstracting a trait from a person's behavior into a named property.

Synonyms: lewdness, indecency, obscenity

Antonyms: decency, respectability