noun Uncommon

incest

IHN-sehst

Incest (noun) means Sexual relations between close relatives, which is widely considered taboo and is illegal in most places.

noun

Sexual relations between close relatives, which is widely considered taboo and is illegal in most places.

"The novel deals with the trauma caused by incest within the family."

How to use incest

Learner’s notes

In plain EnglishSex between close family members, treated as a serious taboo and crime.

When to use it

A serious, clinical/legal term — always used in formal or sensitive contexts, never casually.

incested past tense, incests plural, incests singular

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A learned borrowing from Latin incestus, "unchaste, impure." It replaced the Old English term mǣghǣmed, literally "relative-sex."

Origin: Latin

What is the meaning of incest?

"incest" (noun) means sexual relations between close relatives, which is widely considered taboo and is illegal in most places.

How do you use incest in a sentence?

Example: "The novel deals with the trauma caused by incest within the family."