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Definition of incest

incest

/ˈɪn.sɛst/
in · cest
Adverb:incestuously
•
Plural:incests
•
Adjective:incestuous
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incest Lexical Profile

incest Game Scores & Validity

• noun

1

Sexual relations between people classed as being too closely related to marry each other, or the statutory crime of having such relations.

Example

"Anthropologists have long studied the universal cultural taboo surrounding incest across human societies."

Synonyms
View all synonyms for incest

• Nearby Words

incertitude
incessant
incessantly
incest
incestuous
incestuously
inch

Word Origin & Etymology

Borrowed into Old English from Latin incestum, the neuter noun form of incestus ('impure, unchaste'), formed from the negative prefix in- ('not') and castus ('chaste, pure').

Usage Trend

Historical frequency of usage in published text.

180019102020
Data source: Google Books Ngram Viewer

Cite this Entry

Wordmom. (2026). Definition of Incest. In Wordmom Dictionary. Retrieved Nov 5, 2026, from https://wordmom.com/dictionary/incest
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