What does untouchability mean?
Untouchability is the condition of being treated as socially degraded, unacceptable, or beyond ordinary contact and rights. Its most important historical use refers to the caste system in South Asia, where certain communities were subjected to ritual exclusion, restrictions on public facilities, and discrimination based on hereditary status. The term became central to anticolonial and Dalit movements and is now recognized in modern Indian law as a practice that must be abolished and prevented. In broader English usage, untouchability can describe someone or something considered immune to criticism, attack, or interference. This figurative sense is much less frequent than the historical social and legal sense, but both usages convey exclusion and unequal status. The word is important because it names not simply personal behavior but a structured pattern of discrimination, and it connects the history of caste-based exclusion with contemporary struggles over equality, dignity, and legal protection.
nounUntouchability is the condition of being regarded as socially unacceptable, liable to exclusion, or beyond ordinary contact and criticism. In South Asian history and law, it refers especially to the discriminatory treatment and ritual exclusion of people assigned to castes historically labelled untouchable.
- The condition or practice of treating people as socially degraded, impure, or unsuitable for ordinary contact, especially under the caste system.
- The state of being exempt from criticism, interference, or physical contact; metaphorical or general usage.
"The Constitution abolished untouchability and sought to protect the rights of people who had long suffered from caste discrimination."
"The law criminalized the practice of enforcing untouchability against people belonging to historically marginalized castes."
"The politician's apparent untouchability did not protect him from scrutiny once credible evidence emerged."
The plural is rare and is used mainly when referring to multiple instances, systems, or forms of untouchability.
"The report examines untouchabilities affecting different communities."
India's Constitution abolished untouchability, turning a centuries-old social hierarchy into a legal and political struggle.
Reviewed by Deb Chak, Editor. AI-assisted content curated by RJS Tech Solutions LLP.
Where does untouchability come from?
“Untouchability” was formed in English by adding the noun-forming suffix “-ity” to “untouchable,” itself formed from “un-” and “touch” with the suffix “-able.” “Touch” entered English through Old French and ultimately relates to Latin “tangere,” meaning to touch or handle. In South Asian usage, the term developed to describe the social and ritual exclusion attached to castes historically treated as untouchable, a usage strongly shaped by colonial administration and subsequent anti-untouchability movements.
How untouchability is actually used
In its historical South Asian sense, this is a formal and historically specific term with strong legal, political, and social significance; “Dalit” is often preferred when referring to the affected communities. Outside that context, the word is less common and may sound formal, literary, or figurative.
Easily confused with untouchability
“Untouchable” is the adjective or historical social label from which “untouchability” is formed; “untouchability” names the condition, practice, or system of exclusion.