Meaning & use
indecently offensive
Last updated
Meaning
adjectivebefore a nounformallegallaw
In law, describing words or behavior that are both morally indecent and likely to shock or upset people.
Grammar: Used before a noun, as in 'indecently offensive material'.
Patterns
- indecently offensive material
- indecently offensive behavior
- indecently offensive language
The court found him guilty of making indecently offensive phone calls.
The law prohibits indecently offensive messages sent to strangers.
She was accused of using indecently offensive language in a public place.
Common combinations
- indecently offensive material
- The website was shut down for hosting indecently offensive material.
- indecently offensive language
- He was warned about his indecently offensive language during the meeting.
- indecently offensive behavior
- Such indecently offensive behavior is not tolerated in the workplace.
Synonyms and how they differ
- obscene
- Obscene is stronger and usually refers to sexual content; indecently offensive can also cover non-sexual shock.
- offensive
- Offensive alone just means upsetting; indecently offensive adds a moral or sexual element.
Opposites
Practice
Which sentence uses 'indecently offensive' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Only option 0 correctly describes words or behavior that are morally indecent and shocking; the others use the phrase in contexts where it does not fit.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “indecently offensive”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.