Definition of bestiality
bestialities
1 : the condition or status of a lower (see 3lower 3) animal … the difference between bestiality and humanity … — John Dewey
2 : display or gratification of bestial traits or impulses the bestiality and degradation that war brings — Drew Middleton
3 : sexual relations between a human being and a lower animal
From the M-W Editors
Examples of bestiality in a Sentence
I was shocked by the bestiality of their behavior.
by the end of hostilities the populace had been reduced to a level of bestiality that would have been unthinkable before the war
Recent Examples of bestiality from the Web
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The images and videos depicted acts of violence, bondage and bestiality involving children, a court document said.
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Related: In February, the Indiana Court of Appeals overturned the bestiality conviction, ruling that Shinnock’s confessions should not have been considered in the case because there was no other evidence supporting his guilt.
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A woman who lives at the home with Dunn was also arrested in connection with the bestiality investigation.
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Led by church groups, anti-gay rights campaigners have resorted to inaccurate tropes about homosexuality, trying to link marriage rights to incest, bestiality and AIDS.
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Federal guidelines require a photo to depict intercourse, bestiality, masturbation, sadomasochistic abuse or lascivious exhibition of genitals to be considered child pornography.
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Rama, a friend and neighbor to Mollino, is said to have had her first exhibition of drawings, in 1945, shut down by the police for its sexually aggressive imagery (such as men practicing bestiality).
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In 2012, Holst became the chair of Denmark’s Animal Ethics Council, which advises the government on issues such as cloning, bestiality, and ritual slaughter.
These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'bestiality.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Origin and Etymology of bestiality
see bestial
BESTIALITY Defined for English Language Learners
bestiality
playDefinition of bestiality for English Language Learners
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: sex between a person and an animal
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: a cruel and violent quality : a bestial quality
Medical Dictionary
Law Dictionary
bestiality
playLegal Definition of bestiality
: the crime of engaging in sexual relations with an animal — see also crime against nature
Learn More about bestiality
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See words that rhyme with bestiality Thesaurus: All synonyms and antonyms for bestiality Britannica.com: Encyclopedia article about bestiality
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