Taboo

//təˈbuː// adj, noun, verb

adj, noun, verb ·Common ·High school level

Definitions

Noun
  1. 1
    An inhibition or ban that results from social custom or emotional aversion. countable, uncountable

    "It is true indeed that a taboo - in order to be a proper taboo - must not rest in the general mind on argument or reason."

  2. 2
    an inhibition or ban resulting from social custom or emotional aversion wordnet
  3. 3
    Something which may not be used, approached or mentioned because it is sacred. countable, uncountable
  4. 4
    a prejudice (especially in Polynesia and other South Pacific islands) that prohibits the use or mention of something because of its sacred nature wordnet
Verb
  1. 1
    To mark as taboo.
  2. 2
    declare as sacred and forbidden wordnet
  3. 3
    To ban.
  4. 4
    To avoid.
Adjective
  1. 1
    Excluded or forbidden from use, approach or mention.

    "Incest is a taboo subject in most soap operas."

  2. 2
    Culturally forbidden.
Adjective
  1. 1
    excluded from use or mention wordnet
  2. 2
    forbidden to profane use especially in South Pacific islands wordnet

Synonyms

All synonyms
proscribedanathemabanbannedbarbar out

Example

More examples

"The excessive use of salt should be taboo."

Etymology

Borrowed from Tongan tapu (“prohibited, sacred”), from Proto-Polynesian *tapu, from Proto-Oceanic *tabu, from Proto-Eastern Malayo-Polynesian *tambu. Doublet of kapu. First attested in c. 1777. The p in the Tongan source was misheard as b.

Related phrases

taboo avoidancetaboo deformation

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Data sourced from Wiktionary, WordNet, CMU, and other open linguistic databases. Updated March 2026.