View synonyms for taboo

taboo

or ta·bu

[ tuh-boo, ta- ]

Phonetic (Standard)IPA

adjective

proscribed by society as improper or unacceptable:
Taboo language is usually bleeped on TV.
Synonyms: forbidden
Antonyms: permissible, allowed
prohibited or excluded from use or practice:
In art school, painting from photographs was taboo.
(among the Polynesians and other peoples of the South Pacific) separated or set apart as sacred; forbidden for general use; placed under a prohibition or ban.
Synonyms: inviolable, sacrosanct

noun

, plural ta·boos.

a prohibition or interdiction of anything; exclusion from use or practice:
One of the strongest taboos in all modern societies is against incest.
Synonyms: no-no, interdiction, embargo, proscription, ban
(among the Polynesians and other peoples of the South Pacific)
1. the system, practice, or act whereby things are set apart as sacred, forbidden for general use, or placed under a prohibition or interdiction.
2. the condition of being so set apart, forbidden, or interdicted.
exclusion from social relations; ostracism.

verb (used with object)

, ta·booed, ta·boo·ing.

to put under a taboo; prohibit or forbid.
Synonyms: proscribe, forbid, ban, prohibit
Antonyms: sanction, permit, allow
to ostracize (a person, group, etc.):
While he is tabooed, no one may speak to him.

taboo

/ təˈbuː /

adjective

forbidden or disapproved of; placed under a social prohibition or ban
taboo words
(in Polynesia and other islands of the South Pacific) marked off as simultaneously sacred and forbidden

noun

any prohibition resulting from social or other conventions
ritual restriction or prohibition, esp of something that is considered holy or unclean

verb

tr to place under a taboo

taboo

A descriptive term for words, objects, actions, or people that are forbidden by a group or culture . The expression comes from the religion of islanders of the South Pacific.

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Word History and Origins

Origin of taboo¹

First recorded in 1770–80; from Tongan tabu “forbidden, prohibited”; the spellings tabu and taboo both appear in Captain James Cook's journal in 1777

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Word History and Origins

Origin of taboo¹

C18: from Tongan tapu

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Synonym Study

See forbid.

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