endogamous

/en'dɔgəməs/

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Word: Endogamous

Part of Speech: Adjective

Definition: The word "endogamous" refers to a practice or custom where people marry only within a specific group, clan, or tribe. For example, if a group of people from the same family or community marry each other rather than marrying someone from outside that group, they are considered to be practicing endogamy.

Usage Instructions:

• Context: Use "endogamous" when discussing cultural practices related to marriage and family. It is often used in anthropology, sociology, and discussions about cultural traditions.
• Formality: The term is quite formal, so it’s typically used in academic or professional settings rather than casual conversation.

Example Sentence:

• "In some cultures, endogamous marriages help maintain the family’s traditions and values."

Advanced Usage:

• In discussions about genetics, "endogamous" can also refer to plants that are fertilized by pollen from the same variety, which is important in agricultural science.

Word Variants:

• Endogamy (noun): The practice of marrying within a specific group.
  • Example: "Endogamy is common in many traditional societies."
• Endogamousness (noun): The quality of being endogamous.

Different Meanings:

1. Cultural Context: Refers to the marriage practices within a community.
2. Botanical Context: Refers to plants that are fertilized by their own kind, which can be important for studying plant breeding and genetics.

Synonyms:

• In-group marriage: Marrying within a specific group.
• Cousin marriage: Marrying a cousin, which is a more specific form of endogamy.

Related Idioms and Phrasal Verbs:

• There are no widely recognized idioms or phrasal verbs specifically related to "endogamous," but you might encounter phrases like “staying within the family” which conveys a similar idea in a more general sense.

Academic

Adjective

1. pertaining to or characterized by the custom of marrying only within the limits of a clan or tribe
2. characterized by or fit for fertilization by pollen from another flower of the same kind

Synonyms

• endogamic