Definition

1. Noun:

   • A person who has been expelled from or does not belong to a caste: An outcaste is an individual who is excluded from the traditional Hindu caste system, either by birth or through expulsion, and thus lacks a recognized social position within that structure.
   • A person with no social status: More broadly, it can refer to someone who is completely rejected or ostracized by their social group.

2. Adjective:

   • Excluded from a caste; casteless: Describing a person or group that does not belong to or has been removed from the caste system, resulting in a lack of social standing.

Usage Examples

• Noun:

  • In the traditional village, the outcaste lived on the outskirts.
  • The reformer worked to improve the lives of outcastes.

• Adjective:

  • They were considered an outcaste community, denied access to the common well.
  • The outcaste families faced severe discrimination.

Advanced Usage

• Sociological Context: The term is often used in discussions about social hierarchy, discrimination, and reform in societies with caste systems, particularly in South Asia.
  • The law aimed to protect the rights of outcaste populations.

Variants and Related Words

• Casteless (adj): Having no caste; synonymous with the adjective form of 'outcaste'.
  • He was a casteless individual in a rigid society.

Synonyms

• Pariah: A social outcast.
• Untouchable: (Historical/dated) A member of the lowest social group in the caste system, considered ritually unclean. (Note: This term is now widely considered offensive and is legally banned in India. 'Dalit' is the preferred term for self-identification.)
• Excommunicate: One who has been expelled from a community or church.

Notes on Usage

• The term is specific to cultures with caste systems, most notably historically associated with Hinduism in India. Its use in other contexts is typically metaphorical.
• When discussing contemporary issues, more specific and preferred terms like Dalit (for those formerly called "untouchables") or Scheduled Caste (the official administrative term in India) are often used instead of the general and potentially pejorative 'outcaste'.

Adjective

1. not belonging to or having been expelled from a caste and thus having no place or status in society
   • the foreigner was a casteless person

Noun

1. a person belonging to no caste