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Hardcore pornography is a form of pornography that features explicit sexual acts. The term was coined in the second half of the 20th century to distinguish it from softcore pornography. It usually takes the form of photographs, often in magazines, or films but it may also appear as a cartoon. Since the 1990s it has been distributed widely over the Internet.

Hardcore pornography was widely prohibited in many countries until the second half of the 20th century when many of the world's liberal democracies, experiencing a change in sexual norms, began to allow limited access. Supply is usually regulated by a combination of a classification system and regulation of points of sale, although today hardcore pornography can be easily downloaded from many Internet sites with little regulation. Public display and advertising is often prohibited. Supply to minors is usually prohibited.

Hardcore pornography can be a taboo subject that is prone to moral panic. Admitting to an interest in it is often viewed as shameful in societies with a strong taboo about sex. This can inhibit discussion and makes research difficult. Research results are often contradictory or inconclusive, or are dismissed by critics for being motivated by either pro-pornography or anti-pornography agendas.

While both softcore and hardcore feature extensive nudity and sexual situations with the intention of arousing the viewer, the key difference between softcore and hardcore is that softcore does not include the following elements: shots of an erect penis, shots of actual penetration (vaginal, anal and/or oral), and generally (although not always), sexual acts in softcore are simulated, while the appeal of hardcore is that the acts themselves are inarguably genuine and frequently portrayed in close-up.

The development of home videotape in the 1980s significantly increased the distribution of hardcore material because it allowed people to view films in the privacy of their own home, rather than visiting a movie theater, and also because it became easier to make. It became possible for couples to make videotapes of themselves having sex although this is not usually considered to be pornography unless it is distributed for profit. The development of the Internet has further increased distribution - see Internet pornography.

Since 1969, most of the world's liberal democracies have taken steps to legalize hardcore pornography, or they increasingly fail to enforce legislation to prohibit it resulting in de facto legalisation. There is often vigorous opposition to legalisation - see Anti-pornography movement. The years that hardcore pornography was legalised are roughly as follows:

• Denmark in 1969
• Sweden in 1970
• West Germany in 1973. East Germany was included in 1990.
• United Kingdom in 2000
• Norway in 2006

In the U.S., legal interpretations of pornography in relation to the constitutional right to free speech differ from state to state.

• Softcore
• Sexual norm
• Sexual revolution

• O'Toole, L. (1998), Pornocopia: Porn, Sex, Technology and Desire, London, Serpent's Tail. ISBN 1-85242-395-1