What does casteism mean?
Casteism is a noun denoting prejudice, discrimination, or blind allegiance rooted in caste — the rigid, hereditary system of social hierarchy most closely associated with South Asia, particularly India and Nepal. The term describes both individual attitudes, such as contempt for those of 'lower' castes, and systemic practices that deny people equal access to education, employment, marriage, and public life on the basis of birth. Casteism is almost always used critically: to accuse someone of it is to charge them with perpetuating an unjust and largely discredited social order. Although constitutional provisions in countries such as India formally prohibit caste-based discrimination, the word remains central to political debate, journalism, and scholarship on why such hierarchies endure. Related terms include caste prejudice and caste discrimination, though casteism more pointedly implies an ideology — an active commitment to caste divisions rather than mere inherited circumstance. Understanding this word is essential for following contemporary South Asian social and political discourse.
nounCasteism is discrimination, prejudice, or loyalty based on caste, the hereditary system of social stratification found especially in South Asia. It refers to attitudes and practices that treat people unequally according to the caste into which they are born.
- Prejudice, discrimination, or allegiance grounded in caste; unequal treatment of people based on the caste into which they were born.
"The constitution of India formally outlawed untouchability, yet casteism persists in many areas of public life."
"Activists marched through the city to protest the casteism they said still shaped hiring decisions."
"In his speech, he warned that casteism divides communities that would otherwise prosper together."
Rarely used in the plural; the noun is nearly always uncountable. A plural form may occasionally appear when contrasting different manifestations of caste prejudice across societies.
"Historians have catalogued the varied casteisms of the subcontinent's different regions."
India's constitution banned untouchability in 1950, but the word 'casteism' exists precisely because outlawing a hierarchy doesn't dissolve it.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Etymology of casteism
Casteism combines 'caste' — borrowed in the 16th–17th century from Portuguese 'casta', meaning lineage or breed, itself from Latin 'castus' (pure, chaste) — with the suffix '-ism', which forms nouns denoting doctrines, prejudices, or systems of practice. It arose as a compound in English during the colonial period and came into widespread use in Indian English, where debates over caste and reform made such coinages necessary. Its Latin root also yields cognates such as 'chaste' and words like 'castigate'.
How casteism is actually used
Casteism carries a strongly negative connotation and is typically used in discussions of social justice, politics, and reform, particularly with reference to India and Nepal. It appears most often in formal writing, journalism, and academic contexts rather than casual conversation.
Easily confused with casteism
Classism is discrimination based on social or economic class, which can shift within a lifetime, whereas casteism is based on caste — a fixed, hereditary status assigned at birth.