Patently offensive is a term used in United States law regarding obscenity under the First Amendment.
The phrase "patently offensive" first appeared in Roth v. United States, referring to any obscene acts or materials that are considered to be openly, plainly, or clearly visible as offensive to the viewing public.
The Roth standard outlined what is to be considered obscene and thus not under First Amendment protection.
[1] It has three parts: Chief Justice Warren E. Burger, writing for the majority, included the following definitions of what may be "patently offensive":
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