casteist
|caste-ist|
🇺🇸
/ˈkæstɪst/
🇬🇧
/ˈkɑːstɪst/
supporting caste-based discrimination
Etymology
'casteist' originates from English, specifically from the word 'caste' combined with the suffix '-ist'. 'caste' was borrowed from Portuguese, specifically the word 'casta', where 'casta' meant 'race; lineage'.
'caste' entered English from Portuguese 'casta' and was used in 18th-century writings about social groups in South Asia; the English suffix '-ist' was later attached to form 'casteist' referring to a person or attitude characterized by caste-based views.
Initially, 'caste' referred to 'lineage or breed', but over time in English it came to denote the social stratification system in South Asia; 'casteist' developed to mean 'supporting or practicing discrimination based on caste'.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
a person who believes in or practices discrimination based on caste; someone who supports the caste system or caste-based prejudice.
After his remarks about lower-caste communities, he was labeled a casteist.
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Antonyms
Adjective 1
relating to, showing, or supporting discrimination or prejudice based on caste.
The company's hiring practices were criticized as casteist.
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Last updated: 2025/10/18 05:58