noun
taboo
tuh-BOO
noun
1
A subject, word, or action that is avoided or forbidden because of strong social or cultural disapproval.
"Discussing salaries openly is still something of a taboo at the office."
"Many cultures treat certain foods as taboo."
adj
1
Forbidden or avoided by social custom rather than by law.
"The topic of her divorce was taboo at family dinners."
How to Use Taboo
Learner’s notesIn plain EnglishSomething people avoid talking about or doing because it feels culturally off-limits, not because a law bans it.
Common pairings
a social taboo
break a taboo
a taboo subject
considered taboo
Word Forms
more taboo comparative, tabooed past tense, taboos plural, taboos singular, most taboo superlative
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Discussing salaries openly is still something of a _____ at the office.
Etymology
Borrowed in the late 1700s from Tongan tapu, meaning "forbidden" or "sacred," picked up by European sailors visiting Polynesia.