Skip to main content
to inbreed

to inbreed

8.7
To make a group or its ideas closed by choosing only people from inside the group and ignoring others
  • verb
  • /ˈɪnˌbriːd/
translation icon : aislar
  • The committee's decision to only include members from the same background seemed to inbreed their ideas, limiting innovative perspectives.

It's kind of like inbreeding, but within within particular social circles.

Examples

  • By fostering close ties between members and discouraging outside opinions, the organization began to inbreed its beliefs.

  • It's kind of like inbreeding, but within within particular social circles.

  • Like bro bro I'm like mom you are inbred like nothing.

  • Inbreeding in the Darwin/Wedgwood dynasty.

    Academic text (2010)
  • The club's reluctance to invite new members contributed to an inbreed atmosphere, where only familiar opinions were valued.

Synonyms

to segregate
vsto inbreed
22 6.8

To separate things or parts for a special purpose

promotes close internal ties while excluding outsiders to make the group narrow
to siloed
vsto inbreed
  • Jargon
7.9

To keep groups or information separate so they do not share knowledge

focuses on building tight internal ties while excluding outside influence

Antonyms

92 3.9

To make or become wider and include more things

How Insular

to exclude
338 3.0
to inbreed
8.7
to include
1.0
welcome
1.0

Surface Forms

inbreed infinitive
inbreeding present participle
inbreeds third person singular
inbred past
inbred past participle

Morphology

inbreed = breed (semi-transparent) = in + breed

The morphological formation is the same as the literal sense, but the meaning is a metaphorical extension ('breed' applied to ideas/groups), which is less directly inferable for some learners.

Etymology

Inbreed is formed from in- 'in' and breed 'to produce', so think of a group 'producing' only from inside itself. That's why to inbreed a committee or department means to keep people or ideas inside the same small circle, making the group narrow and slow to change.