What does "incestuous" mean?
Pertaining to or engaging in incest.
Incestuous
/ɪnˈsɛstjuəs/ adj
adj ·Rare ·Advanced level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Pertaining to or engaging in incest.
- Grammar: incestuous is listed as adj.
- Nearest alternatives: cliquish, consanguineous, forbidden, illicit.
- Useful contrasts: meritocratic, nonincestuous, open.
- Usage evidence: Mary was in an incestuous relationship with her brother Tom.
How to use "incestuous"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "incestuous" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "incestuous" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "incestuous" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "incestuous" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "incestuous" is acting as adj in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "cliquish" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "incestuous", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Adjective
- 1 Pertaining to or engaging in incest.
"If you engaged in an incestuous relationship with a family member, that would make you an inbreeder."
- 2 Characterized by mutual relationships that are intimate and exclusive to the detriment of outsiders.
"It’s an incestuous thing. Faculty at the liberal, Ivy League schools are involved in hiring other faculty, who later hire the next generation of faculty. There’s very little intellectual or philosophical diversity in our newsrooms as a result. Furthermore, as I pointed out in the book, there’s a large number of so-called journalists who work for Democrat politicians, who go back and forth between politics and journalism."
Adjective
- 1 relating to or involving incest wordnet
- 2 resembling incest as by excessive intimacy wordnet
Example
"Mary was in an incestuous relationship with her brother Tom."
Common questions
What is a synonym for "incestuous"?
Common synonyms include: cliquish, consanguineous, forbidden, illicit, incestual, incesty.
How do you use "incestuous" in a sentence?
Mary was in an incestuous relationship with her brother Tom.
How do you pronounce "incestuous"?
Pronounced /ɪnˈsɛstjuəs/.
Etymology
From incest + -ous.