taboo language
Socially banned speech
Taboo language consists of words and expressions that are offensive to most people and violate social norms around what can be said in polite company.
Such language typically involves profanity, obscenity, slurs, and references to bodily functions, sex, or death that cultures have deemed unspeakable or inappropriate.
The boundaries of taboo language shift over time and vary across communities; words once considered deeply offensive may become milder, while previously acceptable terms become taboo.
- expletiveProfane emotional utterance
- damnMild expletive
- profanityVulgar or obscene speech
- swearingProfane speech or vows
- blasphemyIrreverence toward the sacred
obscenity · cursing · vulgarity · sacrilege · hell · shit · expurgated · fuck · bastard · N-word · swear jar · kiss my ass · slur · racial slur · sacred cow · bloody · bleep · crap
taboo languagepolite conversation
Courteous social discourse
civil discourse · clean language · euphemism · proper speech · coded language
taboo languageformal language
Elevated, rule-governed expression
elevated language · diplomatic language · professional language · courtly speech · Queen's English