English · Word Candidate

pornography

/pɔːˈnɒɡ.ɹə.fi/

Proposed by a contributor, not yet supported by evidence.

Also seen as: pornographies · pornographying · pornographied

Sense 1

Meaning · English

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

Noun

Examples

Many websites have a complete ban on pornography.

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 2

Meaning · English

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

Noun

Examples

"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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Sense 3

Meaning · English

To turn into pornography.

Verb

Examples

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

Usage example from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01)

Sources & notes

Adapted from English Wiktionary (CC BY-SA 4.0, retrieved 2026-08-01 via kaikki.org).

Common questions

What does “pornography” mean?

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

Is “pornography” formal or informal?

No register label has been reviewed yet — treat it as neutral and check the usage notes above.