Vulgarisms

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. Language that is considered crude or offensive, often including swear words or profanity; expressions that shock or offend through their lewdness or indecency; colloquial terms that are widely regarded as inappropriate or tasteless in polite conversation
2. Crude expressions that tend to invoke strong reactions due to their explicit or derogatory nature; words or phrases viewed as unrefined or lacking sophistication; informal language that may be viewed as offensive in certain social contexts
3. Terms or phrases that offend societal norms by their explicit or coarse content; language that is often associated with a lack of social decorum or respectability; casual speech that may provoke disapproval due to its off-color nature

Etymology: "Vulgarism" is built from "vulgar" and the suffix "-ism," so its history is essentially the history of "vulgar" plus a Greek-derived ending. "Vulgar" comes from Latin "vulgaris," meaning "of the common people" or "common, ordinary," from "vulgus," the crowd. The sense of coarse or offensive that the word now carries developed later, as "vulgar" came to mean lacking refinement. The suffix "-ism" comes ultimately from Ancient Greek "-ismos," a noun-forming ending used to name a practice, condition, or characteristic. English took it up in large numbers, so a term naming a particular kind of speech or expression is a natural formation. "Vulgarism" therefore describes a specific instance of the vulgar, rather than a general quality of it.

Synonyms: slang, jargon, colloquialisms, informalities, boorishness

Antonyms: refinements, courtesies, politeness, elegance, sophistication