Definition of endogamy in English:

noun

• 1Anthropology
  The custom of marrying only within the limits of a local community, clan, or tribe.

  Compare with exogamy

  Example sentences

  • ‘Though marriage outside the ethnic group was tolerated, these people practiced a high rate of endogamy, which strengthened family and community bonds.’
  • ‘Social status was ascribed and sustained by class endogamy.’
  • ‘In recent years, community and regional endogamy have declined.’
  • ‘While not all Arab Americans practice cousin endogamy or engage in arranged marriages, most demonstrate a strong preference for religious endogamy in the selection of marriage partners.’
  • ‘The tribe often encourage endogamy out of the belief that it will help keep the tribal identity from being lost.’

• 2Biology
  The fusion of reproductive cells from related individuals; inbreeding; self-pollination.

  Example sentences

  • ‘This, in plant species, can buffer against genetic erosion resulting from processes of endogamy and genetic drift.’
  • ‘In alfalfa and maize, seed production was shown to be severely depressed by endogamy.’