What does "caste" mean?
Any of the hereditary social classes and subclasses of South Asian societies or similar found historically in other cultures.
Caste
/kɑːst/ noun
noun ·Moderate ·High school level
Meaning at a glance
- Primary sense: Any of the hereditary social classes and subclasses of South Asian societies or similar found historically in other cultures.
- Grammar: caste is listed as noun.
- Nearest alternatives: ashram, birth based division, blood, body.
- Useful contrasts: caste equality, classless, egalitarian.
- Usage evidence: “The music of the Yazidi people is absolutely essential to their culture,” Bochmann told VOA. “Only one section of the people, the Qawals caste, are allowed to sing the music. There are only 16 of them left, and so we thought it would be essential in case another genocide took place, or anything else horrific, that we lodge this and record it.”
How to use "caste"
- Start with the primary definition, then check the part of speech before placing the word in a sentence.
- Compare nearby synonyms to make sure "caste" carries the exact meaning, tone, and strength you need.
- Use the example sentence as a context check. If your sentence uses the word differently, confirm that the grammar still fits.
Meaning check
- Does the word fit the sentence's grammar?
- Does it match the intended tone rather than only the dictionary definition?
- Would a simpler synonym be clearer for the reader?
- Is there enough surrounding context to prevent ambiguity?
Source and review context
This entry combines structured lexical data with WordToolSet review checks. Definitions, examples, synonyms, and usage notes may come from different source tables, so the page is designed to show evidence from more than one angle before you rely on "caste" in a final draft.
If a word has several senses, prefer the sense that matches your sentence's grammar and surrounding context. A correct definition can still be the wrong choice when the sentence needs a different register, emphasis, or level of specificity.
Before you rely on this definition
Read the first definition as a starting point, then check the example, synonyms, and part of speech before treating "caste" as the right word for your sentence.
If your draft is formal, technical, persuasive, or sensitive, compare "caste" with a nearby alternative so the final choice matches both meaning and reader expectation.
Compare nearby meanings
- Use synonyms when you need a softer, stronger, simpler, or more specific word.
- Use antonyms to check the boundary of the meaning and avoid accidental contrast.
- Use the example sentence to confirm the word behaves naturally in context.
- Keep the original wording when a replacement adds complexity without improving precision.
Definition decision workflow
1. Identify the role
Check whether "caste" is acting as noun in your sentence. A definition is only useful when the grammar matches the way the word is being used.
2. Test the nearest option
Compare it with "ashram" and other nearby choices to see whether the sentence needs a softer, stronger, or more familiar word.
3. Confirm with context
Use the example sentence below as an evidence check, then read your own sentence out loud to catch tone or rhythm problems.
Review note: Definition pages are checked for source coverage, sentence evidence, synonym support, and editorial insight before they are treated as approval-ready pages. If the evidence is too thin, the page remains available to users but is kept out of the approval-facing indexed inventory.
Final meaning check
Before publishing a sentence with "caste", ask whether the word helps the reader understand the idea faster. A precise word should reduce confusion, not simply make the sentence look more polished.
When the definition, synonym evidence, and example context point in the same direction, the word is usually a safer choice. When they conflict, revise the sentence or choose a clearer alternative.
Definitions
Noun
- 1 Any of the hereditary social classes and subclasses of South Asian societies or similar found historically in other cultures.
"Pakistan is a conservative, religious state. The Edhi Foundation is unusual in its ignoring of caste, creed, religion and sect. This strict stance has led to some criticism from religious groups."
- 2 in some social insects (such as ants) a physically distinct individual or group of individuals specialized to perform certain functions in the colony wordnet
- 3 A separate and fixed order or class of persons in society who chiefly associate with each other.
"Ah! Can you give me all I've asked for — not now, nor a few months later, but when you begin to think of what you might have done if you had kept your own appointment and your caste here — when you begin to look upon me as a drag and a burden?"
- 4 a social class separated from others by distinctions of hereditary rank or profession or wealth wordnet
- 5 The division of society into castes; the caste system. uncountable
"It was an evidence of the peculiar nature of caste in country towns[.]"
Show 3 more definitions
- 6 (Hinduism) a hereditary social class among Hindus; stratified according to ritual purity wordnet
- 7 A class of polymorphous eusocial insects of a particular size and function within a colony.
"In beehives, most bees belong to the worker caste."
- 8 social status or position conferred by a system based on class wordnet
Antonyms
Example
"“The music of the Yazidi people is absolutely essential to their culture,” Bochmann told VOA. “Only one section of the people, the Qawals caste, are allowed to sing the music. There are only 16 of them left, and so we thought it would be essential in case another genocide took place, or anything else horrific, that we lodge this and record it.”"
Common questions
What is a synonym for "caste"?
Common synonyms include: ashram, birth based division, blood, body, bracket, branch.
How do you use "caste" in a sentence?
“The music of the Yazidi people is absolutely essential to their culture,” Bochmann told VOA. “Only one section of the people, the Qawals caste, are allowed to sing the music. There are only 16 of them left, and so we thought it would be essential in case another genocide took place, or anything else horrific, that we lodge this and record it.”
How do you pronounce "caste"?
Pronounced /kɑːst/.
Etymology
Borrowed from Portuguese or Spanish casta (“lineage, breed, race”), which the OED derives from Portuguese casto (“chaste”), from Latin castus (“chaste"; "chastity”), Coromines (1987) argues instead for a hypothetical Gothic form *𐌺𐌰𐍃𐍄𐍃 (*kasts, “group, collection of animals”), cognate with English cast, from Proto-Germanic *kastuz, from Proto-Indo-European *h₂ǵ-es-.