Word
pariah
Phoneticspari·ah
US/pɝˈaɪə/
UK/pəɹˈaɪə/
Definitions
02an excluded nation or group
n. a country or group that other countries refuse to work with or support.
n. an entity, such as a state or organization, that is ostracized by the international community for violating international norms.
“The country became a pariah state after it broke the peace treaty.”
“Diplomatic sanctions were designed to turn the regime into an international pariah, cutting off its access to global financial markets.”
Academic · Formal
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03historical Indian caste member
n. a member of a low social class in the traditional Indian caste system.
n. a member of a low-caste group in Southern India, historically subjected to severe social exclusion.
“The book describes the difficult lives of the pariahs in ancient Indian society.”
“Historical accounts detail the systemic marginalization of the Pariah community within the rigid hierarchy of the traditional caste system.”
Formal · Technical
Usage
Often capitalized in this specific historical or sociological context.
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Real-World Examples
“A pariah among Atlético Madrid fans after stating he wants to leave their club, the Argentina forward wants a “dream” move to Barcelona.” Etymology
From Tamil பறையர் (paṟaiyar), from பறையன் (paṟaiyaṉ, “drummer”), from பறை (paṟai, “drum”) or from Malayalam പറയർ (paṟayaṟ), from പറയൻ (paṟayaṉ, “drummer”), from പറ (paṟa, “drum”). Parai in Tamil or Para in Malayalam refers to a type of large drum designed to announce the king’s notices to the public. The people who made a living using the parai were called paraiyar; in the caste-based society they were in the lower strata, hence the derisive paraiah and pariah. Alternatively, derived from Sanskrit पर (para, “distant; outsider”).
Etymology adapted from Wiktionary, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.