Definition

1. Noun:
   • A person afflicted with leprosy: A person who has leprosy, a chronic infectious disease that affects the skin, nerves, and mucous membranes.
   • A pariah who is avoided by others: A person who is shunned, rejected, or avoided by society, often due to a perceived fault, stigma, or difference.

Usage Examples

• Noun (Person with leprosy):
  • The missionary dedicated his life to caring for lepers in the isolated colony.
  • Modern medicine can effectively treat leprosy, so the term 'leper' is now considered outdated and offensive in medical contexts.
• Noun (Social outcast):
  • After the scandal, he was treated like a leper by his former colleagues and friends.
  • She felt like a leper at the party because no one would talk to her.

Advanced Usage

• The term is often used metaphorically to describe someone who is ostracized. This usage is powerful but can be considered insensitive due to its association with the disease and the historical stigma attached to it.
  • The whistleblower became a corporate leper, unable to find another job in the industry.

Variants and Related Words

• Leprosy (n): The disease itself.
  • Leprosy is also known as Hansen's disease.
• Leprous (adj): Relating to or affected with leprosy.
  • The old texts described leprous skin.

Synonyms

• Outcast: A person who has been rejected by their social group.
• Pariah: An outcast from society.
• Untouchable: Someone considered unfit for social contact (historically and in some contexts).

Important Note on Usage

• In contemporary English, the word 'leper' is considered offensive and stigmatizing when referring to a person with Hansen's disease (leprosy). The preferred, respectful phrasing is "person with leprosy" or "person affected by Hansen's disease."
• Its use as a metaphor for a social outcast, while common, carries this historical baggage and should be used with great caution, as it can perpetuate harmful stereotypes.

Noun

1. a pariah who is avoided by others
2. a person afflicted with leprosy