taboo

1 of 3

adjective

ta·​boo tə-ˈbü How to pronounce taboo (audio)
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 explosivesRobert 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

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
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
It's become taboo to enter a store just to look around, strange to sit and talk for hours in a dining hall. Annabelle Canela, Parents, 4 Sep. 2025 Conversations about weight loss drugs are still taboo, and many people don’t talk about them openly. Giana Levy, Variety, 29 Aug. 2025
Noun
There’s this taboo that women can’t show themselves in this way. Tomás Mier, Rolling Stone, 3 Sep. 2025 Although the practice of witchcraft is not new—people have long turned to the occult for cosmic intervention during difficult times—this trend is unique because the practice of hiring witches to do spellwork is no longer considered taboo. Taylor Crumpton, Time, 2 Sep. 2025
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 Create an open dialogue and refuse to let anything be taboo between you two. Annie Lane, oregonlive, 23 Mar. 2020 See All Example Sentences for taboo

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

Time Traveler
The first known use of taboo was in 1777

Browse Nearby Words

Cite this Entry

“Taboo.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/taboo. Accessed 9 Sep. 2025.

Kids Definition

taboo

1 of 2 adjective
ta·​boo
variants also tabu
: 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
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 tabooPhyllis Grosskurth
3
: belief in taboos
taboo adjective
also tabu

taboo

2 of 2 transitive verb
variants also tabu
: to avoid or ban as taboo

More from Merriam-Webster on taboo

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