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pornography

noun

  1. explicit portrayal of sexual acts and intercourse in media
L313516 on Wikidata ↗

Wiktionary

Pronunciation: /pɔːˈnɒɡ.ɹə.fi/ / /pɔɹˈnɑ.ɡɹə.fi/

noun

Etymology: Borrowed from French pornographie. By surface analysis, porno- + -graphy.

  1. The explicit literary or visual depiction of sexual subject matter; any display of material of an erotic nature.

    Many websites have a complete ban on pornography.

    1929, D. H. Lawrence, Pornography and Obscenity, pamphlet, republished in 1998, Michael Herbert (editor), D. H. Lawrence: Selected Critical Writings, Oxford University Press, page 294, What is pornography to one man is the laughter of genius to another.

  2. The depiction of (non-sexual) subject matter so that it elicits feelings analogous to erotic pleasure; any such depiction.

    "It's true," Vanya now, "look at the forms of capitalist expression. Pornographies of love, erotic love, Christian love, boy-and-his-dog, pornographies of sunsets, pornographies of killing, and pornographies of deduction — ahh, that sigh when we guess the murderer — all these novels, these films and songs and they lull us with, they're approaches, more comfortable and less so, to that Absolute Comfort." A pause to allow Rudi a quick and sour grin, "The self-induced orgasm."

  3. The graphic, detailed, often gratuitous depiction of something.

    In The Four Pillars of Wisdom, he devotes a well-deserved chapter to the financial press and its weakness for "financial pornography"—lurid coverage of star money managers.

verb

Etymology: Borrowed from French pornographie. By surface analysis, porno- + -graphy.

  1. To turn into pornography.

    Their very being is so pornographied by automated content filters that they are largely barred from sexual expression online.

    [JD] Vance also expressed concerns about the use of AI technology, adding that it was being used to fuel “hyper-pornographied slop”, sources at the meeting said.

pornography — meaning, definition (noun) · Vinony