endogamy

American  

[en-dog-uh-mee] / ɛnˈdɒg ə mi /

noun

1. marriage within a specific tribe or similar social unit.

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endogamy British  

/ ˌɛndəʊˈɡæmɪk, ɛnˈdɒɡəmɪ /

noun

1. anthropol marriage within one's own tribe or similar unit Compare exogamy

2. pollination between two flowers on the same plant

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Other Word Forms

• endogamic adjective
• endogamous adjective

Etymology

Origin of endogamy

First recorded in 1860–65; endo- + -gamy

Compare meaning

How does endogamy compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• endogamy vs. exogamy

Example Sentences

Its vast, diverse population includes thousands of communities shaped by centuries of endogamy, or marriage within groups.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 12, 2026

In 1987, the magazine broke new ground by publishing interfaith matrimonial ads - a bold move in a community known for strict endogamy.

From BBC • Sep. 6, 2025

We were undateable, and the level of endogamy amongst us was startling.

From Scientific American • Feb. 6, 2020

But those assigned to Kyrgyzstan’s northern province of Karakol established their own village—Yrdyk—choosing a life isolation and endogamy instead.

From Slate • Jul. 17, 2017

Rules of endogamy and exogamy; privileges, restricted to certain classes, of eating together, are not only Indian or Aryan, but world-wide phenomena.

From Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th Edition, Volume 4, Part 3 "Brescia" to "Bulgaria" by Various