caste

noun

ˈkast How to pronounce caste (audio)
 also  ˈkäst
1
: one of the hereditary social classes in Hinduism that restrict the occupation of their members and their association with the members of other castes
2
a
: a division of society based on differences of wealth, inherited rank or privilege, profession, occupation, or race
b
: the position conferred by caste standing : prestige
art and religion have lost casteF. L. Baumer
3
: a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social barriers sanctioned by custom, law, or religion
4
: a specialized form (such as the worker of an ant or bee) of a polymorphic social insect that carries out a particular function in the colony
soldier castes for fighting enemy ants
casteism noun

Examples of caste in a Sentence

He was from a higher caste. a member of the upper caste
Recent Examples on the Web America’s racial divisions are examined and reframed as a caste system. Becky Meloan, Washington Post, 6 Mar. 2024 While caste discrimination has been outlawed for decades, Dalits have long inhabited the lowest social rung in Indian society, with few opportunities on the literary scene. Cameron Pugh, The Christian Science Monitor, 28 Feb. 2024 Villages also tend to be riddled with caste associations and societal rules on occupations that can keep people locked into jobs as carpenters, barbers, weavers, potters, or sweepers with few other options. Sunny Nagpaul, Fortune, 7 Feb. 2024 An overwhelming majority of its justices come from an entrenched elite—male, Hindu, and occupying the upper echelons of India’s caste system—a demographic that has traditionally been the bedrock of Hindu nationalism. Vaibhav Vats, The Atlantic, 3 Feb. 2024 Her feeling, her idea—and it’s not born with her—is that race is secondary, that a caste system is primary. David Remnick, The New Yorker, 21 Jan. 2024 Some have been motivated by well-meaning individuals who are willing to help others, and others have been motivated by the wish to belong to a privileged caste. Andrew Stuttaford, National Review, 21 Jan. 2024 The film follows Wilkerson’s personal and professional journey to uncovering the caste systems that fuel social inequality both in the United States and around the world. Chandelis Duster, CNN, 28 Jan. 2024 Hinduism itself contained multitudes, distinguished not just by devotion to 30 million distinct deities, but also by rigid caste hierarchies and regional cultural identities. Hari Kumar Atul Loke, New York Times, 22 Jan. 2024

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'caste.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Portuguese casta "breed, lineage, family, hereditary social class in India," of uncertain origin

Note: Portuguese casta has exact counterparts in Spanish and Catalan casta, none of which are attested before the fifteenth century. The word has traditionally been taken as descending from a feminine noun derivative of Latin castus "free from (the thing named), untainted by vice, pure" (see chaste), though this etymology has been resisted by Joan Coromines, who points out that the earliest uses do not imply purity (see Diccionario crítico etymológico castellano e hispánico, s.v.). The phrase hacer casta (hacer "to do, make") means "to breed (animals)"—likewise, the phrase para casta "for breeding." The word would seem to refer to both the act of breeding and the succession of things bred. Coromines is surely correct in noting that Latin castus has influenced the later semantic development of casta. However, his hypothesis that an unattested Gothic word cognate with Old Icelandic kǫs, kǫstr "heap, pile" is the source of Iberian Romance casta is not convincing, The senses of the English noun cast entry 2 that he sees as most relevant, such as "a set of characters or persons" or "characteristic quality," are all late developments from the verb meaning "to throw" and can scarcely be traced back to proto-Germanic.

First Known Use

circa 1624, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of caste was circa 1624

Dictionary Entries Near caste

Cite this Entry

“Caste.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/caste. Accessed 18 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

caste

noun
1
: one of the classes into which the Hindu people of India were formerly divided
2
a
: a division of society based upon differences of wealth, rank, or occupation
b
: social rank : prestige
3
: a specialized form of a social insect that carries out a particular purpose in the colony
the worker caste in a colony of honeybees

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