untouchability
|un-touch-a-bi-li-ty|
/ˌʌn.tʌtʃəˈbɪl.ɪ.ti/
not to be touched / out of reach
Etymology
'untouchability' originates from English, specifically from the adjective 'untouchable' plus the suffix '-ity', where the prefix 'un-' meant 'not' and the root 'touch' meant 'to contact or feel'.
'untouchability' changed from Middle English forms based on 'untouchable' (from Old French/Anglo-Norman influences on the verb 'touch') and eventually became the modern English noun 'untouchability'.
Initially it referred simply to something 'unable to be physically touched' or 'not to be touched'; over time it acquired social and institutional senses—especially the caste-based exclusion in South Asia—and also a figurative sense of being beyond criticism.
Meanings by Part of Speech
Noun 1
the social practice or condition of being regarded as untouchable and therefore excluded from social contact or rights—especially the historic caste-based practice in parts of South Asia.
Untouchability was legally abolished, but social discrimination still exists in some regions.
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Noun 2
a figurative state of being immune to criticism, attack, or accountability—being regarded as beyond reproach or out of reach.
His political untouchability made it difficult for opponents to criticize his actions.
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Last updated: 2025/10/19 23:02