purdah

noun pur·dah \ ˈpər-də \

Definition of purdah

1 : seclusion of women from public observation among Muslims and some Hindus especially in India

2 : a state of seclusion or concealment

See purdah defined for English-language learners

Recent Examples of purdah from the Web

This was hardly the first occasion when a party had locked its politicians in purdah to preserve their chastity from a predatory rival.

— The Economist, "People in India often despair of their democracy," 31 May 2018
Saudi Arabia’s princes used to shrink from Britain’s press like women in purdah.

— The Economist, "Prince Charm-offensiveSaudi Arabia launches a charm offensive in Britain," 8 Mar. 2018
The insights from the Inflation Report are the first in weeks since a snap general election called by Prime Minister Theresa May policy makers into purdah.

— jill ward, Bloomberg.com, "Carney Sees Tougher Time for Households Even If Brexit Smooth," 11 May 2017
Governor Mark Carney will hold a press conference 30 minutes later, marking the first comments from an MPC member since the BOE went into pre-election purdah last month.

— lucy meakin, Bloomberg.com, "Faster Inflation Won't Change BOE Minds as U.K. Growth Softens," 5 May 2017
Selmayr’s Influence Selmayr has already weighed in on the election, taking to Twitter at the weekend to complain about a U.K decision to delay a routine review of the EU’s budget, citing election campaign-period rules also known as purdah.

— robert hutton, Bloomberg.com, "May Accuses EU of Sabotaging Election as Brexit Lines Harden," 3 May 2017

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