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casteism

casteism

9.6
A belief or action that treats people unfairly because of the social group they are born into
  • noun
  • /ˈkæsteɪˌɪzəm/
  • Offensive
translation icon : castismo
  • The result has been the growth of caste consciousness and casteism throughout Indian society.

Examples

  • You are trying very hard to find casteism, as in Varna Dharma, all over the world; but won't convince anyone with a clue that the examples you give are equivalent to Hindu casteism.

    Blog text (26)
  • What Indians do to one another is variously described as communalism, regionalism, and casteism, but never as racism.

    Academic text (2005)
  • This practice of nepotism gradually turned into casteism, which was accompanied by increasing competition for scarce resources (state patronage) among the Hindus.

    Academic text (1994)
  • You are trying very hard to find casteism, as in Varna Dharma, all over the world; but won't convince anyone with a clue that the examples you give are equivalent to Hindu casteism.

    Blog text (26)
  • The discourse on race and racism, Louis charges, has been monopolized by the West, therefore preempting any consideration of caste as race and quite conspiratorially keeping casteism from the attention of the world.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Casteism practiced in this way is closely related to political power with socioreligious associations, which are important organizations for mobilizing popular support through their networks of temples, priests, and religious festivals in villages and towns throughout the country.

    Academic text (1994)
  • If caste was not synonymous with race, casteism and racism were both comparable forms of human rights violations, Dalit activists argued, the WCAR should properly be a forum to address both sets of issues.

    Academic text (2005)
  • Casteism is a form of casteism that often leads to social division within communities.

  • The government implemented measures to combat casteism and promote equality among all citizens.

  • Many activists work tirelessly to raise awareness about the negative effects of casteism in society.

Synonyms

discrimination
vscasteism
  • Offensive
535 3.5

Unfair treatment of people because of their race, age, or sex

focuses specifically on prejudice tied to social birth and hierarchy
bigotry
vscasteism
  • NSFW
115 7.0

An unfair dislike of people from other groups like different races or religions

is based on prejudice toward people because of inherited social rank rather than opinions
untouchability
vscasteism
  • Offensive
1 9.9

Excluding people from normal social life because they belong to a low caste or class

is broader, covering prejudice and different forms of unfair treatment based on group

Antonyms

160 3.7

Willingness to accept beliefs or lifestyles different from your own

101 2.9

Willingness to be friendly to people and ideas that are different

How Discriminatory

persecution
97 6.5
casteism
  • Offensive
9.6
discrimination
  • Offensive
535 3.5
prejudice
180 4.8
to bias
6 4.9

Surface Forms

casteism singular
casteisms plural

Morphology

casteism = caste (transparent) = caste + ism

Direct combination of the noun 'caste' and the productive suffix '-ism' indicating an ideology/practice related to caste, which learners can infer from known parts.

Etymology

The word casteism starts with caste, from the Portuguese word 'casta' meaning 'race' or 'lineage' and used to name social groups that stayed separate. The ending -ism shows a belief or system, so casteism is the belief or practice of treating people differently because of their social caste.