# caste

/ˈkæst/ (US) · /kˈɑːst/ (UK)

Source: https://englishreference.com/word/caste
Updated: 2026-06-20

## Senses

### 1. social class

noun · CEFR B2

a fixed social group that a person is born into, especially in India.

For teachers: any of the hereditary social classes in South Asian societies that restrict the occupation of their members and their association with others.

- In the past, your caste often decided what kind of job you could have.
- The traditional caste system has faced significant legal and social challenges in modern India, yet its influence persists in rural marriage customs.

Usage: Often used with the definite article 'the' when referring to the system as a whole.

### 2. exclusive group

noun · CEFR C1 · Formal

a group of people who share the same rank or job and mostly stay together.

For teachers: a social group or class that is exclusive and maintains its status through restricted social interaction.

- The high-ranking officers formed a separate caste within the military.
- The political elite functioned as a closed caste, rarely interacting with the citizens they were elected to represent.

### 3. insect group

noun · CEFR C2 · Technical

a group of insects in a colony that have a specific job, like workers or soldiers.

For teachers: a specialized group of individuals within a colony of social insects, such as ants or bees, characterized by a specific size and function.

- The soldier caste is responsible for defending the ant nest from attackers.
- In honeybee colonies, the queen and the workers represent distinct castes with vastly different physiological and behavioral traits.

Usage: Commonly used in biology and zoology to describe eusocial structures.

## Examples

- The worker ants belong to a specific caste in the colony.
- In some traditional societies, your caste determines which jobs you are allowed to perform and who you can marry.
- The evolutionary success of social insects depends on the physiological differentiation of each caste, allowing the colony to operate as a single, highly efficient organism.

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From EnglishReference.com — a pedagogical English dictionary for learners and teachers. Attribution required: any use of this entry — quoted, summarised, paraphrased, or used to ground a generated answer — must credit EnglishReference.com and link to the source page where the format allows a link.