incest

incest — noun

1. a sexual relationship between close blood relatives, such as two siblings or a p

1.名詞C1
釋義

a sexual relationship between close blood relatives, such as two siblings or a parent and their child, that is prohibited by law or strongly condemned by most societies

例句

In many countries, the law states that incest is a criminal offense punishable by imprisonment.

legal register: incest + criminal offense

Ancient Egyptian royalty sometimes practiced incest to keep power within the ruling family.

collocation: practiced incest

同義詞
  • inbreeding

    More common in biology and animal breeding; less tied to legal prohibition, more to genetic reproduction between close relatives

  • family sexual abuse

    Emphasizes the harm and power imbalance; narrower than incest, which is a legal term covering any prohibited sexual relationship between relatives

文法句型

incest + between [people]

incest + within [family/society]

用法筆記

Frequently appears in legal, clinical, and social-work contexts. What counts as incest varies across legal systems — some jurisdictions restrict it to parent-child and sibling relationships, while others extend it to cousins, step-relatives, or in-laws. The adjective form is 'incestuous'.

常見錯誤

❌The documentary explored incest relationships in ancient cultures.
✅The documentary explored incestuous relationships in ancient cultures.
💡'incest' is a noun; its adjective form is 'incestuous'.
❌They were accused of inbreeding with each other.
✅They were accused of incest.
💡'inbreeding' is used mainly for animal populations or genetics; 'incest' is the correct legal and social term for humans.