pariah
n. countablen. a person who is completely rejected by their society or group. You use this word for someone who is treated as if they do not exist because of their actions or background.
n. a person who is shunned or ostracised by their community. Often used in sociological or historical contexts to describe those excluded from social or religious life.
The politician became a pariah after the scandal.
After the betrayal, he was treated as a pariah by his former friends and colleagues.
The novel explores the psychological toll of being a pariah in a small, tightly-knit community where every action is subject to public scrutiny and judgment.
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”).