ENGLISH
REFERENCE

incestuous

adj.
C1 Advanced US //ˌɪnˈsɛstʃwəs// UK //ɪnsˈɛstʃuːəs// in·ces·tu·ous

adj. describing a sexual relationship between people who are closely related by blood. It can also describe a situation where a small group of people only deal with each other, like a family business.

adj. relating to or involving sexual relations between close blood relatives. In a figurative sense, it describes a situation where a small group operates in isolation from the outside world, such as a family-run business or a closed social circle.


SIMPLE

The family business is so incestuous that everyone is related.

CONTEXTUAL

The committee was criticized for being incestuous, as all the members were former colleagues from the same university department.

Origin

From incest + -ous.

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