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.

   The situation's profundity escaped most observers.

   Synonym: profoundness

2. Deep intellect or insight.

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

   Synonym: profoundness

   • 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.

   I delved the abyssal profundities of Neptune's realm.

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

• profoundness