inbreeding
noun
in·breed·ing ˈin-ˈbrē-diŋ 
1
: the interbreeding of closely related individuals especially to preserve and fix desirable characters of and to eliminate unfavorable characters from a stock
2
: confinement to a narrow range or a local or limited field of choice
Example Sentences
genetic defects caused by inbreeding
Recent Examples on the Web Meaning that the future now belongs to improvised cloning, eugenics, and inbreeding. 
Dennard Dayle, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2022 There are red wolves in captivity, but researchers say the captive population is not sustainable due to inbreeding. Ariana Garcia, Chron, 11 Aug. 2022 Henry is the patriarch, a believer in God and natural selection, a man dead set on convincing his daughter Henrietta that inbreeding is the best way to make a winning racehorse. Courtney Maum, WSJ, 29 Apr. 2022 The first picks had died, and all the familial inbreeding made the next choice complex. Nick Romano, EW.com, 13 July 2022 This arrangement can lead to inbreeding, but female dwarf mongooses have found a simple yet clever way around this problem: look for mates in nearby groups. Lee Alan Dugatkin, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2022 Catalburun Possibly because of severe inbreeding due to their rarity, the Catalburun is one of the only dogs in the world featuring a split nose and suspended ears. The Editors, Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2012 The vaquita porpoise has become more resilient to inbreeding and can avoid harmful genetic mutations, as a result of living in relatively small population sizes, according to the study. Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 10 May 2022 Though experts have long theorized that the ancient Egyptians bred ibises at large-scale hatcheries, the 2019 DNA study refuted this idea, showing no signs of long-term inbreeding associated with domestication. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2022 See More
Dennard Dayle, The New Yorker, 24 Aug. 2022 There are red wolves in captivity, but researchers say the captive population is not sustainable due to inbreeding. Ariana Garcia, Chron, 11 Aug. 2022 Henry is the patriarch, a believer in God and natural selection, a man dead set on convincing his daughter Henrietta that inbreeding is the best way to make a winning racehorse. Courtney Maum, WSJ, 29 Apr. 2022 The first picks had died, and all the familial inbreeding made the next choice complex. Nick Romano, EW.com, 13 July 2022 This arrangement can lead to inbreeding, but female dwarf mongooses have found a simple yet clever way around this problem: look for mates in nearby groups. Lee Alan Dugatkin, Scientific American, 15 Apr. 2022 Catalburun Possibly because of severe inbreeding due to their rarity, the Catalburun is one of the only dogs in the world featuring a split nose and suspended ears. The Editors, Outside Online, 23 Oct. 2012 The vaquita porpoise has become more resilient to inbreeding and can avoid harmful genetic mutations, as a result of living in relatively small population sizes, according to the study. Camille Fine, USA TODAY, 10 May 2022 Though experts have long theorized that the ancient Egyptians bred ibises at large-scale hatcheries, the 2019 DNA study refuted this idea, showing no signs of long-term inbreeding associated with domestication. Meilan Solly, Smithsonian Magazine, 10 May 2022 See More Word History
First Known Use
circa 1842, in the meaning defined at sense 1
Medical Definition
inbreeding
noun
in·breed·ing ˈin-ˈbrēd-iŋ
: the interbreeding of closely related individuals especially to preserve and fix desirable characters of and to eliminate unfavorable characters from a stock compare linebreeding, outbreeding