caste

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noun \ ˈkast also ˈkäst \

Definition of caste

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 caste
—F. 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

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casteism

play \ˈkas-ˌti-zəm\ noun

See caste defined for English-language learners

See caste defined for kids

Examples of caste in a Sentence

He was from a higher caste.
a member of the upper caste

Recent Examples of caste from the Web

Tier 2 quarterbacks would be most hurt by the system; then again, this isn't a caste system.

— steven ruiz, USA TODAY, "Fixing the NFL's out-of-control QB market," 30 Aug. 2017
At the same time, Qatar is built on a racialized caste system, with Qataris at the top and hundreds of thousands of brown and black foreigners at the bottom.

— reihan salam, National Review, "The Case for Skills-Based Immigration," 28 Aug. 2017
Himes showed little interest in politics until he was released from prison in 1936 and subsequently seduced by the Communist Party, which gave him the tools to pick apart America’s racialized caste system.

— michael p. jeffries, New York Times, "How Chester B. Himes Became the Rage in Harlem, and Beyond," 24 Aug. 2017
On the advice of the Diana in his head, Trevor attempts to negotiate the caste system on his own terms.

— tony adler, Chicago Reader, "Trevor: The Musical—the best After School Special you'll ever see," 23 Aug. 2017
You damn right hatred, bigotry and violence has been going on a long time – directed at black people who were brought here as chattel property and violently suppressed within a vicious caste system, one that continues until today.

— angela helm, The Root, "Donald Trump Ain’t Shit, He Ain’t Barack Obama and He Surely Doesn’t Care About Black People," 12 Aug. 2017
This left the remaining population in the city to be more immigrant, Francophone and Catholic, not to mention more likely to be Creole (meaning locally born regardless of race), African in ancestry and enslaved in caste.

— richard campanella, NOLA.com, "New Orleans residents fled the city en masse every August in the 1800s but not for hurricanes," 1 Aug. 2017
The complex history of the priestly caste is papered over with strident assertions of Brahmanical purity, of which vegetarianism and the sanctity of the cow are indispensable components.

— amar diwakar, New Republic, "How “Cow Vigilantes” Launched India’s Lynching Epidemic," 26 July 2017
White supremacy is quick to remind us that her privileged position in the color caste system is bestowed from above.

— carina del valle schorske, The Cut, "Gold, History, and My Body," 25 July 2017

These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'caste.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.

Origin and Etymology of caste

Portuguese casta, literally, race, lineage, from feminine of casto pure, chaste, from Latin castus

NEW! Time Traveler

First Known Use: 1613

See Words from the same year

caste Synonyms

Synonyms

class, estate, folk, gentry, order, stratum

Related Words

bracket, echelon, grade, layer, level, tier; place, position, rank, standing, status; food chain, grouping, hierarchy, stratification; clan, family, fraternity, people, race, tribe; subcaste

CASTE Defined for English Language Learners

caste

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noun

Definition of caste for English Language Learners

: one of the classes into which the Hindu people of India were traditionally divided
: a division of society based upon differences of wealth, rank, or occupation