taboo

1 of 3

adjective

ta·​boo tə-ˈbü 

ta-

variants or less commonly tabu

1

a

: banned on grounds of morality or taste

the subject is taboo

b

: banned as constituting a risk

the area beyond is taboo, still alive with explosives

—Robert Leckie

2

: forbidden to profane use or contact because of what are held to be dangerous supernatural powers

taboo

2 of 3

noun

variants or less commonly tabu

plural taboos also tabus

1

a

: a prohibition imposed by social custom or as a protective measure

… they may have developed a taboo against eating fish.

—Jared Diamond

b

: something that is not acceptable to say, mention, or do : something that is taboo

… the tacticians in a conservative Republican Administration now deem membership in the club a taboo.

—Peter J. Boyer

2

: a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a supernatural force

3

: belief in taboos

taboo

3 of 3

verb

variants or less commonly tabu

tabooed also tabued; tabooing also tabuing; taboos also tabus

transitive verb

1

: to set apart as taboo especially by marking with a ritualistic symbol

2

: to avoid or ban as taboo

Synonyms

Adjective

• banned
• barred
• forbidden
• impermissible
• interdicted
• outlawed
• prohibited
• proscribed
• verboten

Examples of taboo in a Sentence

Adjective

Sex is a taboo subject for many people.

In this company, dating a coworker is considered taboo.

Noun

religious taboos against drinking alcohol

Marrying a close relative is a taboo in many cultures.

Recent Examples on the Web

Adjective

This demonic combo was taboo in medieval times, though there’s no historical evidence for the popular claim that it was banned outright. —Staff, Quartz, 25 Sep. 2024

In addition to the dark moon, Mercury and the sun will also be in Scorpio, amplifying taboo topics and themes (i.e., death, fear and all things macabre) that go hand-in-hand with this time of year. —Valerie Mesa, People.com, 29 Oct. 2024

Noun

Today's billionaires are shredding populist taboos, driving news cycles and increasingly shaping the terms of American democracy. —Zachary Basu, Axios, 31 Oct. 2024

Zelenskyy remains publicly committed to recovering all Ukrainian territory, and the notion of ceding any land to Russia in a cease-fire remains something of a taboo in Ukraine. —Serge Schmemann, The Mercury News, 29 Oct. 2024

Verb

Basically, Pluto rules taboo topics that lie under the surface and that are hard to talk about. —Elizabeth Gulino, refinery29.com, 27 Apr. 2021

Simply repurposing her stylish wardrobe, which is normally taboo in Hollywood. —Sara M Moniuszko, USA TODAY, 19 Feb. 2020

Word History

Etymology

Adjective

Tongan tabu

First Known Use

Adjective

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Noun

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Verb

1777, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Kids Definition

taboo

1 of 2 adjective

ta·​boo

variants also tabu

tə-ˈbü 

ta-

: prohibited by a taboo

taboo

2 of 2 noun

variants also tabu

plural taboos also tabus

1

: a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm by a superhuman force

2

: a prohibition established by social custom

Etymology

Adjective

from tabu, a word in a language of the people of a South Sea island, meaning "taboo"

Medical Definition

taboo

1 of 2 noun

ta·​boo

variants also tabu

tə-ˈbü, ta- 

plural taboos also tabus

1

: a prohibition in some cultures against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a mysterious superhuman force

2

: a prohibition imposed by social custom or as a protective measure

the view that incest, not cannibalism, was the world's first taboo

—Phyllis Grosskurth

3

: belief in taboos

taboo adjective

also tabu

taboo

2 of 2 transitive verb

variants also tabu

: to avoid or ban as taboo