inbreeding

UK: /ˈɪnbriːdɪŋ/ US: /ˈɪnˌbridɪŋ/ ,(in′brē′ding)

From the verb inbreed: (⇒ conjugate)

inbreeding is: ⓘ

v pres p

WordReference Random House Learner's Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•breed•ing /ˈɪnˌbridɪŋ/  n. [uncountable]

1. the breeding or mating of closely related individuals.

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•breed•ing  (in′brē′ding), n. [Biol.]

1. Animal Husbandry, Genetics the mating of closely related individuals, as cousins, sire-daughter, brother-sister, or self-fertilized plants, which tends to increase the number of individuals that are homozygous for a trait and therefore increases the appearance of recessive traits.

• inbreed + -ing¹ 1835–45

WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2026

in•breed  (in′brēd′, in brēd′), v., -bred, -breed•ing. 
v.t. 

1. Animal Husbandry, Genetics to breed (individuals of a closely related group) repeatedly.
2. Animal Husbandry, Genetics to breed within;
   engender.

v.i. 

3. Animal Husbandry, Genetics to engage in or undergo inbreeding.

• in-¹ + breed 1590–1600

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::

inbreed / ˈɪnˈbriːd/ verb ( -breeds, -breeding, -bred)

1. to breed from unions between closely related individuals, esp over several generations
2. (transitive) to develop within; engender

ˈinˈbreeding noun , adjective