profundity

Inherited from Middle English profundite, from Middle French profondite or its etymon Latin profunditās; by surface analysis, prof(o)und +‎ ity. Compare profoundness.

• enPR: prəfŭn′dĭtē, IPA^(key): /pɹəˈfʌndɪti/

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• Hyphenation: pro‧fun‧di‧ty
• Rhymes: -ɪti

profundity (countable and uncountable, plural profundities)

1. The state of being profound; magnitude, gravity, or intensity.

   Synonym: profoundness

   Antonyms: shallowness, triviality

   Coordinate term: pseudoprofundity

   The situation's profundity escaped most observers.

2. Deep intellect or insight.

   Synonym: profoundness

   Antonym: stupidity

   Coordinate terms: cleverness, pseudoprofundity

   Near-synonyms: brilliance, genius

   Unfortunately, Andrew's colossal ego means people miss his profundity.

   • 1867, Fyodor Dostoyevsky, chapter VI, in The Gambler, translated by C. J. Hogarth‎^[1]:

     Also, he had legs which seemed to begin almost at his chest—or, rather, at his chin! Yet, for all his air of peacock-like conceit, his clothes sagged a little, and his face wore a sheepish air which might have passed for profundity.

3. (now uncommon) A great depth; a deep place.

   Antonyms: shoal, shallow

   Near-synonym: abyss

   I delved the abyssal profundities of Neptune's realm.

4. (now rare) Depth; the state of possessing great downwards extent.

   Synonym: deepness

   • 1816, [Walter Scott], chapter I, in The Antiquary. […], volume I, Edinburgh: […] James Ballantyne and Co. for Archibald Constable and Co.; London: Longman, Hurst, Rees, Orme, and Brown, →OCLC, page 4:

     [A] sharp-looking old dame, […] inhabited a "laigh [low] shop," anglicé [in English], a cellar, opening to the High-street by a strait and steep stair, at the bottom of which she sold tape, thread, needles, skeans of worsted, coarse linen cloth, and such feminine gear, to those who had the courage and skill to descend to the profundity of her dwelling, without falling headlong themselves, or throwing down any of the numerous articles which, piled on each side of the descent, indicated the profession of the trader below.

• pseudoprofundity