profanity

Profanity is swearing, or language that treats sacred things without respect. Both senses come from the same root.

The original meaning is religious, since profane means outside the temple, and profanity was speech that treated holy things carelessly. Modern English has widened it to cover swearing generally, and a warning about strong language and profanity is standard before a broadcast. It works as a mass noun and as a count noun, so somebody can shout a profanity. The adjective profane keeps the older religious sense.