Dalit

noun

Da·​lit ˈdä-lit How to pronounce Dalit (audio)
plural Dalits
: a member of the lowest class in the traditional Hindu social hierarchy having in traditional Hindu belief the quality of defiling by contact a member of a higher caste

Note: The Dalits were also formerly referred to as untouchables, a term that is now understood as offensive.

Examples of Dalit in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Despite legislation banning discrimination based on caste, activists say the stigma leaves India’s more than 260 million Dalits vulnerable to abuse and less able to seek redress for crimes committed against them. — Esha Mitra, CNN, 22 Feb. 2025 Modi’s party has always been vulnerable to defections by low-caste Hindus, who feel the party is still wedded to upper-caste privilege, and many Dalits, once more commonly known as untouchables, appear to have shifted their votes to the opposition. — Robert F. Worth, The Atlantic, 2 Jan. 2025

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Marathi or Hindi, borrowed from New Sanskrit dalita- "not belonging to one of the four traditional caste groupings in India, person not a member of these castes," going back to Sanskrit, "burst open, cleft, dispersed, destroyed," verbal adjective of dálati "(it) bursts, cracks, flies open," perhaps based on a variant dālay- of dāray-, causative derivative of dṛṇā́ti "(s/he) bursts, tears" — more at tear entry 1

First Known Use

1948, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of Dalit was in 1948

Rhymes for Dalit

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Browse Nearby Words

Dalian
Dalit
Dall's porpoise
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Cite this Entry

“Dalit.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/Dalit. Accessed 7 Apr. 2025.

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