French word

tabou

Pronunciation

IPA/tabu/

Meaning

  • masculine nountaboo

Example

Parler d'argent est un tabou pour lui.

Talking about money is taboo for him.

Illustration for tabou (taboo)

More examples

Le tabou du sexe est encore fort dans certaines familles.

The taboo about sex is still strong in some families.

Core concept

A topic kept behind a social barrier, so mentioning it feels forbidden.

Common phrases

  • briser un tabou

    break a taboo

  • le tabou du sexe

    the taboo about sex

  • un tabou culturel

    a cultural taboo

Similar words

interdiction: A rule or law that forbids an act or topic.
secret: Information or circumstances kept hidden from others.
sujet: A topic discussed or considered.
silence: A state of remaining quiet without speaking.

Definition in French

Sujet ou pratique socialement proscrit, souvent accompagné d'une interdiction tacite de l'évoquer.

Word origin

French tabou comes from Polynesian tapu, meaning forbidden or sacred, through English taboo, and later developed its broader social sense.

Usage tips

  • Tabou is masculine as a noun, but its adjective form agrees with the noun, as in une question taboue.

Other meanings

  • prohibitionnoun

Opposites

Word lists with this word