Definition

1. Noun:
   • Sexual relations between close family members: The crime or act of having sexual intercourse between individuals who are so closely related by blood or affinity that marriage between them is legally or culturally prohibited. This typically includes relationships between parent and child, sibling and sibling, or grandparent and grandchild.

Usage

• General Usage: The term is used primarily in legal, psychological, sociological, and moral contexts to describe a prohibited sexual relationship.
• Legal Context: In most jurisdictions, incest is a criminal offense.
• Psychological/Social Context: It is often discussed as a form of abuse, particularly when it involves an adult and a minor or a relationship with a significant power imbalance.

Examples

• The novel explores the dark themes of incest and betrayal within a royal family.
• He was convicted of incest for his relationship with his adult sister.
• The psychological impact of childhood incest can be profound and long-lasting.
• Many cultures have ancient taboos against incest.

Advanced Usage

• "Incest taboo": A cultural or social prohibition against incestuous relationships, often considered one of the most universal human social rules.
  • The incest taboo is a fundamental concept in anthropology.
• "Emotional incest" / "Covert incest": A psychological term describing a relationship where a parent treats a child as a surrogate spouse, fulfilling emotional needs without physical sexual contact.
  • The therapist identified patterns of emotional incest in the client's childhood.

Variants and Related Words

• Incestuous (adj): Characterized by or involving incest.
  • The play depicted an incestuous relationship between the characters.
  • Figuratively, it can describe any excessively close or self-contained group: "The incestuous world of corporate boardrooms."

Synonyms

• Consanguineous intercourse: A formal, technical term for sexual relations between blood relatives.
• Inbreeding: More commonly used in biology for mating between closely related individuals, often with a focus on genetic consequences rather than the legal or moral act.

Related Phrases and Concepts

• "Incest survivor": A person who has experienced incest, often used in therapeutic or advocacy contexts.
  • She is an advocate for incest survivors.
• "Incestuous abuse": A term that explicitly frames the act as abusive, highlighting the power dynamics and harm involved.
  • The report focused on the trauma of incestuous abuse.

Noun

1. sexual intercourse between persons too closely related to marry (as between a parent and a child)