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Endogamy
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Quick Facts
Also called:
in-marriage
Key People:
John Ferguson McLennan
Related Topics:
Marriage
incest
Exogamy
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Endogamy

sociology
Also known as: in-marriage
Written and fact-checked by
Britannica Editors
Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree....
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Last updated
•History

Endogamy, custom enjoining one to marry within one’s own group. The penalties for transgressing endogamous restrictions have varied greatly among cultures and have ranged from death to mild disapproval. When marriage to an outside group is mandated, it is referred to as exogamy.

Endogamy has been common among extant and historical aristocracies, religious groups, ethnic groups, and social classes. Expectations of caste endogamy persist in parts of India and the Indian diaspora, although many claim that this is a form of caste discrimination, a practice made illegal in the mid-20th century.

This article was most recently revised and updated by Elizabeth Prine Pauls.