What does pariah mean?
A pariah is someone who has been rejected, excluded, or openly despised by a group to which they might otherwise belong. The term can refer to a social outcast, a person who has been disowned, or someone who is treated as unacceptable because of their behavior, identity, or past. In modern usage, it is a forceful and generally derogatory label: calling someone a pariah implies that other people regard them as disreputable, unwelcome, or beyond inclusion. The word has a serious historical background. It derives from a term used in southern India for people assigned to an untouchable caste and excluded from many forms of ordinary social contact. That history makes the modern metaphor especially pointed, since it recalls exclusion and social degradation rather than mere disagreement. The related verb means to reject or ostracize someone.
A person who is rejected, ostracized, or treated as an outcast by a group.
"The accused witness was regarded as a pariah by members of the community."
Usually derogatory; historically also used for a member of a caste considered untouchable in southern India.
To reject, ostracize, or declare someone an outcast.
"The committee attempted to pariah the dissenter rather than hear his argument."
Relatively uncommon and strongly formal or rhetorical.
The standard plural is pariahs.
"The scandal turned several former allies into pariahs within the movement."
The word began with a reference to people historically forced to live outside Indian village communities, making it one of English’s most enduring social labels.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does pariah come from?
The English word entered use in the 17th century through Portuguese pária, which was borrowed from a Tamil term referring to a member of a community historically regarded as untouchable in southern India. The English sense gradually broadened from this specific social and religious designation to the general meaning of a person rejected or excluded by others. The related modern spelling reflects the influence of several European forms of the original South Asian term.
Related word forms
How pariah is actually used
In modern English, the word is usually figurative and strongly derogatory. Its historical reference to South Asian caste communities remains important in discussions of caste discrimination and should not be treated as merely figurative.
Easily confused with pariah
As a noun, a pariah is a person who is rejected or excluded by a group; as a verb, pariah means to reject or ostracize someone.