SINCE 1828
dictionary
thesaurus
view recents

panchayat

noun
Save Word
pan·​cha·​yat
variants: or less commonly panchayet or punchayet \ (ˌ)pənˈchäyət , -​chīət \
plural -s

Definition of panchayat

1 : a village council in India:
a : a former group of five influential older men acknowledged by the community as its governing body
b : an elective council of about five members organized in the republic of India as an organ of village self-government
2 : a Parsi council of six dasturs and ten mobeds regulating secular affairs

Love words?

You must — there are over 200,000 words in our free online dictionary, but you are looking for one that’s only in the Merriam-Webster Unabridged Dictionary.

Start your free trial today and get unlimited access to America's largest dictionary, with:

  • More than 250,000 words that aren't in our free dictionary
  • Expanded definitions, etymologies, and usage notes
  • Advanced search features
  • Ad free!

History and Etymology for panchayat

Hindi pañcāyat, from Sanskrit pañca five

Keep scrolling for more

Learn More About panchayat

Dictionary Entries Near panchayat

panchax

panchayat

Panchen Lama

See More Nearby Entries 

Statistics for panchayat

Cite this Entry

“Panchayat.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/panchayat. Accessed 24 Oct. 2021.

Style: MLA
MLACheck Mark Icon ChicagoCheck Mark Icon APACheck Mark Icon Merriam-WebsterCheck Mark Icon
Seen & Heard
People are talking about

WORD OF THE DAY

mirage

Listen to the pronunciation of mirage

See Definitions and Examples »

Test Your Vocabulary

Difficult Spelling Words Quiz

  • alphabet pasta spelling help
  • Which is the correct spelling?
True or False

Test your knowledge - and maybe learn something along the way.

TAKE THE QUIZ
Love words? Need even more definitions?

Subscribe to America's largest dictionary and get thousands more definitions and advanced search—ad free!

Words at Play
Ask the Editors
Word Games