bestiality

noun

bes·​ti·​al·​i·​ty ˌbes-chē-ˈa-lə-tē 

ˌbesh-,

ˌbēs-,

ˌbēsh- 

plural bestialities

1

: sexual relations between a human being and a lower animal

2

: the condition or status of a lower (see lower entry 3 sense 3) animal

… the difference between bestiality and humanity …

—John Dewey

3

: display or gratification of bestial traits or impulses

the bestiality and degradation that war brings

—Drew Middleton

Synonyms

• animalism
• animality
• beastliness
• brutality
• brutishness
• swinishness

Examples of bestiality in a Sentence

I was shocked by the bestiality of their behavior.

by the end of hostilities the suffering populace had been reduced to a level of bestiality that would have been unthinkable before the war

Word History

First Known Use

14th century, in the meaning defined at sense 2

Medical Definition

bestiality

noun

bes·​ti·​al·​i·​ty ˌbes-chē-ˈal-ət-ē  ˌbēs- 

plural bestialities

: sexual relations between a human being and a lower animal

Legal Definition

bestiality

noun

bes·​ti·​al·​i·​ty ˌbes-chē-ˈa-lə-tē, ˌbēs- 

: the crime of engaging in sexual relations with an animal see also crime against nature