Origin: Germanic Old English prefix
Bestiality has 3 different meanings across 1 category:
the stupid brutal quality of a beast
"The coach's bestiality was evident in how he savagely tore apart any player who made a mistake on defense."
sexual activity between a person and an animal
"The legal system treats bestiality as a serious felony because it involves sexual activity between a human being and an animal."
A status of lower animal.
"The ancient philosopher was accused of bestiality because he claimed that humans were merely a degraded form of beast, lacking any divine spark."
In plain English: Bestiality is the act of having sexual relations with an animal.
"The law strictly prohibits and punishes acts of bestiality."
Usage: Bestiality refers to the act of engaging in sexual intercourse with an animal and is a serious crime. It does not mean having a lowly or debased character.
The word comes from combining Latin bestia, meaning beast, with the suffix -ity to form a noun describing an act involving animals. It entered English as a direct construction of these parts rather than evolving from an older native term.