What does inbreeding mean?
Inbreeding is the reproduction of organisms, especially animals, with close relatives or other members of a genetically restricted population. Because relatives carry many of the same recessive genetic variants, mating among them increases the likelihood that an offspring will inherit two copies of a harmful allele, a phenomenon associated with reduced fertility, developmental abnormalities, or lower survival. The related term inbreeding depression describes the reduction in fitness that can result. Inbreeding can also describe a social system that restricts reproduction to a closed group, excluding outsiders and preserving inherited boundaries. In conservation biology and livestock breeding, the word is often used when describing the genetic risks faced by small populations. Careful breeding records, the introduction of unrelated individuals, and managed exchanges between populations are common ways of reducing these risks. Thus, inbreeding is both a precise genetic concept and a broader metaphor for closed, repetitive systems that restrict new relationships.
nounInbreeding is the practice or process of mating and reproducing among closely related individuals, increasing the likelihood that offspring will inherit the same harmful recessive alleles from both parents. The term can also refer more broadly to reproduction within a genetically or socially closed group.
- The practice or process of mating and reproducing among closely related individuals or within a genetically closed population.
- A social or cultural system in which reproduction occurs within a restricted group and outside partners are excluded.
"The conservation team used a programme of genetic management to prevent inbreeding among the small population of endangered cranes."
"Selective breeding and careful record-keeping reduced inbreeding in the herd."
"The novel portrays the community as a closed society sustained by social inbreeding."
Usually uncountable; the plural is uncommon and used for separate instances or processes of inbreeding.
"Several inbreedings among isolated populations have been documented."
Inbreeding does not create harmful traits; it makes recessive ones already present in a population more likely to appear.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does inbreeding come from?
Inbreeding was formed in the 17th century from the prefix in-, meaning “within,” and the noun breeding. Its central element, breed, comes from Old English brēdan, meaning “to produce offspring,” and is related to the Old English noun brōd, “offspring.” The compound originally described the practice of breeding within a family or strain and later became a central term in genetics and animal breeding.
Related word forms
How inbreeding is actually used
The term is chiefly used in genetics, biology, agriculture, and animal husbandry. In the social sense, it is usually evaluative and may carry strong negative connotations.
Easily confused with inbreeding
Inbreeding is the broader genetic practice of reproducing among close relatives, whereas incest specifically concerns sexual relations between close relatives.