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incest

UK/ˈɪn.sɛst/US/ˈɪn.sɛst/
nounB2+Occasional — familiar, but not everyday · #8,787 of 15,258neutral

Incest is sexual relations between close relatives. Prosecuted for incest, the incest taboo, a case of incest.

It is a criminal offence everywhere and a very serious one where a child or a dependent adult is involved. The taboo is close to universal across societies, though which relatives count differs. Royal families in several ancient states were the exception, and the effects showed.

kladcat · CC BY 2.0

Definitions of incest

  1. 1nounincestSexual relations between close relatives.B2+

    “Most societies have strict laws against incest.”

incest is an offence.

Where it comes from

Latin incestus means impure or unchaste — in-, not, plus castus, pure. Chaste is the same root.

  1. Latin

    incestus

  2. English, today

    incest

Latin incestus. mǣġhǣmed. a doublet of inchaste.

Etymology from Wiktionary, CC BY-SA

Practised in A Song of Ice and Fire

Practise this word

incest in the wild

  • The incest taboo is one of the most widespread of all cultural taboos, both in present and in past societies.

    Incest

  • An incest taboo is any cultural rule or norm that prohibits sexual relations between certain members of the same family, mainly between individuals related by blood.

    Incest taboo

  • Jewish views on incest deal with the sexual relationships which are prohibited by Judaism and rabbinic authorities on account of a close family relationship that exists between persons.

    Jewish views on incest

  • Such prohibited relationships are commonly referred to as incest or incestuous, though that term does not appear in the biblical and rabbinic sources.

    Jewish views on incest

  • Covert incest is a form of non-physical sexual abuse.

    Covert incest

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From Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0. These sentences were written by other people about their own subjects; they are here to show the word at work, not as anybody’s opinion.

Related words

the incestus family

incestincestuous

incest — used about once every 3,827 pages · #8,787 · point at the bar for the others