Profanity, as defined by
Merriam-Webster, is "an word" or "offensive language". It is also called
bad language,
strong language,
coarse language,
foul language,
bad words,
vulgar language,
lewd language,
swearing,
cursing,
cussing, or
using expletives. This use is a
subset of a language's
lexicon that is generally considered to be strongly impolite, rude or offensive. It can show a
debasement of someone or something, or show intense emotion. Profanity in this sense takes the form of words or verbal expressions that fall into the category of
formulaic language.