obscūrĭtas, ātis, f. [obscurus], a being dark, darkness, obscurity.
I Lit. (perh. only post-Aug.): latebrarum, Tac. H. 3, 11: atra, Plin. 2, 18, 16, § 79: visūs, dimness , id. 23, 1, 20, § 35: oculorum, id. 37, 3, 12, § 51. —
II Trop. (class.), obscurity, indistinctness, uncertainty : ut oratio, quae lumen adhibere rebus debet, ea obscuritatem et tenebras afferat, Cic. de Or. 3, 13, 50: Pythagorae, id. Rep. 1, 10, 16: obscuritas fit etiam vet is ab usu remotis, Quint. 8, 2, 12: in eā obscuritate ac dubitatione omnium, uncertainty , Cic. Clu. 27, 73: rerum, id. Fin. 2, 5, 15: naturae, id. Div. 1, 18, 35.—In plur.: quo pertinent obscuritates et aenigmata somniorum, Cic. Div. 2, 64, 132: obscuritates non adsignemus culpae scribentium, sed inscientiae non adsequentium, Caecil. ap. Gell. 20, 1, 5: obscuritatibus involutum, Arn. 1, 38.—
B Of rank, obscurity, lowliness, meanness : quorum prima aetas propter humilitatem et obscuritatem, in hominum ignoratione versatur. Cic. Off. 2, 13, 45: sordes et obscuritatem Vitellianarum partium perstringemus, Tac. H. 1, 84: generis, Flor. 3, 1, 13: nec obscuritas inhibuit (Servium Tullium), quamvis matre servā creatum, id. 1, 6, 1.