inbred

[ in-bred ]

adjective

1. naturally inherent; innate: native:

   her inbred grace.

   Synonyms: instinctive, constitutional, inborn

2. resulting from or involved in inbreeding.

inbred

/ ˈɪnˈbrɛd /

adjective

1. produced as a result of inbreeding
2. deeply ingrained; innate

   inbred good manners

Word History and Origins

Origin of inbred¹

First recorded in 1585–95; past participle of inbreed

Example Sentences

Like Trump, Carson had no particular attachment to the people he supposedly represented: He was a cosmopolitan Dublin-London gentleman, not a religious zealot or anti-Catholic bigot, and he found the inbred political culture of Protestant Ulster stultifying.

From Salon

Not only that, but the pupfish are believed to be one of the most inbred of all species, a lack of genetic variation that makes it difficult for the creatures to procreate and thrive.

From New York Times

"Wildebeest that can no longer migrate have lower genetic diversity, are more genetically isolated and are more inbred. We expect this to lead to lower survival, reduced fertility and other negative effects on fitness," says Xiaodong Liu, one of the study's first authors and a postdoc at the Department of Biology.

From Science Daily

In bees, males are typically haploid and have only one set of chromosomes, but when they're inbred, they can have two sets of the same chromosomes and lack genetic diversity.

From Science Daily

More recently, studies have found the southern resident females have less hunting success than their neighbors up north and that the shrinking, increasingly inbred population of southern residents could be plummeting toward extinction.

From Seattle Times

Related Words

• deep-seated
• innate