English Lexicon

Bestiality

/ˌbɛs.tiˈæl.ɪ.ti/
nounCEFR C2 (Proficient)Top #25000 frequency
Full Thesaurus

Comprehensive Definitions & Senses

2 senses
As noun
  1. 1

    The practice of sexual intercourse between a human and an animal.

    "The law strictly prohibits bestiality in many countries due to ethical concerns."
  2. 2

    A behavior or act that is considered to be animalistic or brutish.

    "His actions were described as bestiality, lacking any semblance of human decency."

Thesaurus & Semantic Spectrum

Antonyms & Contrasting Words (1)

Linguistic Origin & Historical Etymology

The term 'bestiality' originates from the Latin word 'bestialis', meaning 'of a beast', which evolved through Middle English. The concept has historically been associated with animalistic behavior and has shifted in modern usage to denote sexual acts involving animals.

Quick Vocabulary Retention Check

Which of the following is the closest synonym for "Bestiality"?

Thesaurus & Synonyms Graph

Explore Nuanced Synonyms for "Bestiality"

Discover exact matches, context-specific alternatives, and antonyms with intensity ratings in the VocabDictionary Thesaurus.

View "Bestiality" Synonym Map