untouchability
un-tuhch-uh-BIL-uh-tee
/ʌnˌtʌtʃ.əˈbɪl.ə.ti/
The practice of ostracizing a group of people by regarding them as ritually impure or unclean.
Refers to extreme ritual discrimination based on beliefs about physical or spiritual contamination, distinct from general racism.
The story behind the word. Coined in English in the 19th century to translate indigenous South Asian social terms describing groups forced to live at a distance from main villages to prevent ritual contamination through physical touch or proximity.
Word relationships
- exclusion: 'Exclusion' is general, whereas 'untouchability' specifically denotes exclusion based on ritual impurity.
- ostracism: 'Ostracism' can be social or political rejection of an individual, whereas 'untouchability' is a hereditary structural practice.
- integration: 'Integration' brings disparate groups together into equal social interaction.
- inclusion: 'Inclusion' ensures equal access and participation without discrimination.
Commonly confused with
- invulnerability: 'Invulnerability' means incapable of being harmed, while 'untouchability' refers to social exclusion.
Word family
- untouchable (noun): A member of the lowest social group in a caste hierarchy subject to ritual exclusion.
- untouchable (adjective): Forbidden to be touched due to ritual impurity.
Collocations
- practice of untouchability
- abolition of untouchability
- curse of untouchability
Example sentences
- "Article 17 of the Indian Constitution officially abolished untouchability and forbade its practice in any form." Constitutional law
- "The abolition of untouchability was a central goal of social reform movements throughout the twentieth century." Historical analysis
Memory hook
UN + TOUCH + ABILITY = the institutionalized inability to be touched due to social prejudice. Forbidden from touch by cruel custom.
When not to use
Do not use to mean physical invincibility or being immune to criticism (use 'untouchability' only for social exclusion/purity rules).
Fun facts
- The term was officially banned in legal contexts in India under the Untouchability (Offences) Act of 1955.
Explore more words
Ostracism, discrimination, ostracize, xenophobia, stigmatize, discriminatory
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