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
Robert Leckie2
: forbidden to profane use or contact because of what are held to be dangerous supernatural powers
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
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
Peter J. Boyer2
: a prohibition against touching, saying, or doing something for fear of immediate harm from a supernatural force
3
: belief in taboos
variants
or less commonly tabu
tabooed also tabued; tabooing also tabuing; taboos also tabus
1
: to set apart as taboo especially by marking with a ritualistic symbol
2
: to avoid or ban as taboo
Synonyms
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
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
Charley Locke Devin Gordon Ben Mauk David Marchese Kwame Anthony Appiah Kwame Anthony Appiah Jody Rosen Deb Olin Unferth Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2024
This film, directed by Alfred Sole, breaks multiple taboos, first by killing a young child early on, and then again by having the girl’s 12-year-old sister Alice as the main suspect behind the slayings.
—Meagan Navarro, Vulture, 31 Oct. 2024
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
See all Example Sentences for taboo 
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
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
The controversial philosopher discusses societal taboos, Thanksgiving turkeys and whether anyone is doing enough to make the world a better place.
—Charley Locke Devin Gordon Ben Mauk David Marchese Kwame Anthony Appiah Kwame Anthony Appiah Jody Rosen Deb Olin Unferth Lisa Donovan, New York Times, 10 Nov. 2024
This film, directed by Alfred Sole, breaks multiple taboos, first by killing a young child early on, and then again by having the girl’s 12-year-old sister Alice as the main suspect behind the slayings.
—Meagan Navarro, Vulture, 31 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
See all Example Sentences for taboo
Dictionary Entries Near taboo
Cite this Entry
“Taboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taboo. Accessed 1 Dec. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
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
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
Phyllis Grosskurth3
: belief in taboos
taboo
adjective
also tabu
taboo
2 of 2 transitive verb
variants
also tabu
: to avoid or ban as taboo
Love words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
Share