as in classes
one of the segments of society into which people are grouped
a member of the upper caste
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Recent Examples of castes
So, there’s no political parties, there’s no races, and there’s no religions, but there are these two groups that are almost like castes.
—
Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
The Ramayana has hundreds of versions — across states, dialects, castes.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
If found guilty, these men could face harsher punishments under Indian laws designed to protect disadvantaged castes.
—Esha Mitra, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
Civil confrontations invariably cross classes and castes, bringing together people from radically different social cohorts while separating seemingly natural allies.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
They were designed to help the backward castes under the untouchables and so forth, and then expanded to some other groups.
—Ananya Vajpeyi, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2016
Literary Hub, 13 Nov. 2025
The Ramayana has hundreds of versions — across states, dialects, castes.
—Vibhas Ratanjee, Forbes.com, 15 Aug. 2025
If found guilty, these men could face harsher punishments under Indian laws designed to protect disadvantaged castes.
—Esha Mitra, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025
Civil confrontations invariably cross classes and castes, bringing together people from radically different social cohorts while separating seemingly natural allies.
—Adam Gopnik, The New Yorker, 14 Oct. 2024
They were designed to help the backward castes under the untouchables and so forth, and then expanded to some other groups.
—Ananya Vajpeyi, Foreign Affairs, 27 Jan. 2016
Recent Examples of Synonyms for castes
Noun
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In summer, the Local by Loews partnership with Sweat Forum brings pop-up fitness classes to the lawn at Horsefeather Social, adding community-forward faces to the roster.—
Condé Nast,
Condé Nast Traveler,
2 Mar. 2026
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But with veteran quarterback Matthew Stafford back and several recent draft classes producing emerging stars, the Rams will be among the favorites to make their third Super Bowl appearance under McVay.—
Los Angeles Times,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Mar. 2026
Noun
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Chip companies like Broadcom have faced a number of headwinds in recent months, including a shortage of the high bandwidth memory crucial for custom accelerators, and capacity constraints at the most advanced levels of chip manufacturing and packaging.—
Katie Tarasov,
CNBC,
5 Mar. 2026
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These adjustments, referred to as population controls, are likely to show steep downward revisions to both population and labor-force levels – largely reflecting reduced immigration.—
Alicia Wallace,
CNN Money,
5 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The top echelons of the Islamic Republic boast a deep bench of mostly hard-liners — not surprising, perhaps, for a nation that has braced for attack for years, if not decades.—
Nabih Bulos,
Los Angeles Times,
3 Mar. 2026
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The show follows Wiig’s wannabe patrician Maxine Dellacorte-Simmons, who is hell-bent on becoming the belle of 1960’s Palm Beach by elbowing her way into the upper echelons of Florida’s most exclusive beach club, the Palm Royale.—
Jack Dunn,
Variety,
3 Mar. 2026
Noun
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The show portrays devious, cocaine-huffing young bankers climbing the ranks of global finance, and Yasmin—or Yas, for short—has cut the least noble path of all.—
Spencer Kornhaber,
The Atlantic,
2 Mar. 2026
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Alice’s father is a British government official high in the ranks of Bombay society so her friendship with film star Rochana is frowned on by her strict mother.—
Mary Ann Grossmann,
Twin Cities,
1 Mar. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Castes.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/castes. Accessed 6 Mar. 2026.
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