: sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry
also
: the statutory crime of such a relationship
Examples of incest in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Under the administration of President Barack Obama, the government did not pay for abortions for teens in custody except in cases of rape, incest or a threat to the woman's life.
—
Author: Ann E. Marimow, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Dec. 2017
Our great grandchildren will be arguing about the ethics of incest well after we're buried in the cold ground.
—Matt Miller, Esquire, 20 Sep. 2017
Game of Thrones: About That Hookup—Megan Garber argues that incest in the show is a metaphor for insularity, myopia, and people’s unwillingness to see beyond themselves.
—The Editors, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2017
Jones said the bill, which prohibited abortions after 20 weeks, mandated certain requirements be met to permit abortions after 20 weeks in the case of a medical emergency, rape or incest.
—Paul Gattis, AL.com, 2 Nov. 2017
See all Example Sentences for incest 
Author: Ann E. Marimow, Anchorage Daily News, 19 Dec. 2017
Our great grandchildren will be arguing about the ethics of incest well after we're buried in the cold ground.
—Matt Miller, Esquire, 20 Sep. 2017
Game of Thrones: About That Hookup—Megan Garber argues that incest in the show is a metaphor for insularity, myopia, and people’s unwillingness to see beyond themselves.
—The Editors, The Atlantic, 1 Sep. 2017
Jones said the bill, which prohibited abortions after 20 weeks, mandated certain requirements be met to permit abortions after 20 weeks in the case of a medical emergency, rape or incest.
—Paul Gattis, AL.com, 2 Nov. 2017
See all Example Sentences for incest
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incest.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
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Cite this Entry
“Incest.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incest. Accessed 30 Oct. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incest
noun
in·cest
ˈin-ˌsest 
: sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry
Medical Definition
incest
noun
in·cest
ˈin-ˌsest
: sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry
also
: the statutory crime of engaging in such sexual intercourse
Legal Definition
incest
noun
in·cest
ˈin-ˌsest
: sexual intercourse between persons so closely related that they are forbidden by law to marry
also
: the crime of engaging in such sexual intercourse
Etymology
Latin incestus sexual impurity, from incestus impure, from in- not + castus pure
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