Editing Profanity (section)

== Social perception ==
[[File:2017.02.19 Lgbtqi+ Makeout at Trump Hotel, Washington, DC USA 00994 (33013403935).jpg|thumb|upright|[[Pejorative]] terms like ''[[queer]]'' may be [[reappropriated]] by the people they are directed against.]]
Whether speech is profane depends on context, because what is taboo or impolite in one environment might not be in another.{{Sfn|Kapoor|2016|pp=259–260}}{{Sfn|Stapleton|Beers Fägersten|Stephens|Loveday|2022|pp=1–2}}{{Sfn|Jay|Janschewitz|2008|p=269}} Swear words vary in their intensity, and speakers of a language might disagree that weaker swear words are actually profane.{{Sfn|Ljung|2011|p=9}} Isolated profanities are often seen as more profane than those used in context.{{Sfn|Kapoor|2016|p=260}}

The identity of the speaker affects how profanity is seen, as different cultures may hold classes, sexes, age groups, and other identities to different standards.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=xx}} Profanity is often seen as more socially acceptable when coming from men,{{Sfn|Jay|Janschewitz|2008|p=271}} and it is commonly associated with [[machismo]].{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=439}} Profanity varies in how it affects a speaker's credibility. It can be seen as unprofessional in some circumstances, but it can make an argument more persuasive in others.{{Sfn|Stapleton|Beers Fägersten|Stephens|Loveday|2022|p=8}} Milder words can become more impactful in different circumstances; ''cheat'' may be more provocative in schools or gambling clubs, and ''informer'' replaces ''crook'' as a term of abuse for a dishonest person in a criminal setting.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=246}} Profanity is often associated with lower class professions like soldiers and [[cart]]ers.{{Sfn|Ljung|2011|p=7}}

[[Expectancy violations theory]] holds that expectations about a speaker's behavior come from impressions based not only on the speaker's identity, but how the specific speaker typically communicates and the socially expected way to speak to a given listener.{{Sfn|Johnson|Lewis|2010|p=107}} Swearing in formal contexts is a greater violation of expectations than swearing in informal conversation.{{Sfn|Kapoor|2016|p=260}} Whether the profanity is spoken in public or private is also a factor in social acceptability.{{Sfn|Jay|Janschewitz|2008|p=272}} Conversations that involve profanity are correlated with other informal manners of speech, such as slang, humor, and discussion of sexuality.{{Sfn|Johnson|Lewis|2010|p=108}}

Native speakers of a language can intuitively decide what language is appropriate for a given context. Those still learning a language, such as children and non-native speakers, are more likely to use profane language without realizing that it is profane.{{Sfn|Jay|Janschewitz|2008|p=269}} Acceptable environments for profanity are learned in childhood as children find themselves chastised for swearing in some places more than others.{{Sfn|Jay|Janschewitz|2008|p=272}} Swearing is often milder among young children, and they place more stigma on terms that are not seen as profane by adults, like ''fart'' or ''dork''. Young children are more likely to use the mildest terms as swear words, such as ''pooh-pooh''. Adolescents develop an understanding of [[double meaning]]s in terms like ''balls''.{{Sfn|Jay|Janschewitz|2008|p=272}}

The severity of a swear word may decline over time as it is repeated.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=300}} In some cases, slurs can be [[Reappropriation|reclaimed]] by the targeted group when they are used ironically or in a positive context, such as ''[[queer]]'' to refer to the [[LGBTQ community]].{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|pp=246, 382}} People who speak multiple languages often have stronger emotional associations with profanity in their native languages over that of languages that they acquire later.{{Sfn|Stapleton|Beers Fägersten|Stephens|Loveday|2022|p=3}} The severity of a profane term can vary between [[dialect]]s within the same language.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=246}} Publishers of [[dictionaries]] must take profanity into consideration when deciding what words to include, especially when they are subject to obscenity laws.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|pp=xxiii, 123}} They may be wary of appearing to endorse the use of profane language by its inclusion.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=128}} [[Slang dictionaries]] have historically been used to cover profanity in lieu of more formal dictionaries.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|pp=123–125}}

In some cultures, there are situations where profanity is good etiquette. A tradition exists in some parts of China that a bride was expected to speak profanely to her groom's family in the days before the wedding, and one [[Aboriginal Australian]] culture uses profanity to denote class.{{Sfn|Hughes|2015|p=xxi}}