Dalit

D2A1L1I1T1
/ˈdɑːlɪt//ˈdʌlɪt/

noun

A member of a South Asian group of people traditionally regarded as untouchables or outcastes.

“Jogendra Nath Mandal was the first leader to fight for a further identity of the Dalits, holding that they were neither Hindus nor Muslims.”

Similar
untouchable
OriginMarathi दलित ← Sanskrit दलित →
UncommonScrabble 6
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Meanings

nounDalit (plural Dalits)

plural Dalits

  1. A member of a South Asian group of people traditionally regarded as untouchables or outcastes.

    Jogendra Nath Mandal was the first leader to fight for a further identity of the Dalits, holding that they were neither Hindus nor Muslims.

    Synonyms: untouchable

Synonyms & antonyms

nounA member of a South Asian group of people traditionally regarded as untouchables or outcastes.

Similar
untouchable
Also see
harijanoutcasteuntouchable

Origin

  1. Sanskritदलित“broken, destroyed”
  2. Marathiदलित“oppressed”
  3. EnglishDalit

Borrowed from Marathi दलित (dalit, “oppressed”), from Sanskrit दलित (dalita, “broken, destroyed”).

More words from Marathi, Sanskrit

Full word history & related roots →

Translations

Bengali দলিত
  • দলিত (dolito)person regarded as outcaste
Chinese Mandarin 賤民 /贱民, 達利特人 /达利特人
  • 賤民 /贱民 (jiànmín)person regarded as outcaste
  • 達利特人 /达利特人 (dálìtè rén)person regarded as outcaste
Finnish dalit
  • dalitperson regarded as outcaste
French intouchable, paria
  • intouchableperson regarded as outcaste
  • pariaperson regarded as outcaste
  • dalitperson regarded as outcaste
German Dalit, Unberührbarer
  • Dalitperson regarded as outcaste
  • Unberührbarerperson regarded as outcaste
Hindi दलित
  • दलित (dalit)person regarded as outcaste
Japanese 不可触民, 不可触賤民
  • 不可触民 (fukashokumin)person regarded as outcaste
  • 不可触賤民 (fukashoku-senmin)person regarded as outcaste
Persian دالیت
  • دالیت (dâlit)person regarded as outcaste
Polish dalit
  • dalitperson regarded as outcaste
Portuguese dálita
  • dálitaperson regarded as outcaste
Punjabi ਦਲਿਤ, دلت
  • ਦਲਿਤ (dalit)person regarded as outcaste
  • دلت (dlt)person regarded as outcaste
Russian неприкаса́емый, дали́т
  • неприкаса́емый (neprikasájemyj)person regarded as outcaste
  • дали́т (dalít)person regarded as outcaste
  • па́рия (párija)person regarded as outcaste
Spanish Dalit
  • Dalitperson regarded as outcaste
Tamil தலித், தளிதன்
  • தலித் (talit)person regarded as outcaste
  • தளிதன் (taḷitaṉ)person regarded as outcaste
Urdu دلت
  • دلتperson regarded as outcaste

Rhymes & wordplay

Anagrams

tidaltildadatilditallatid
Cite this entry
APA

Dalit. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 2, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dalit

MLA

“Dalit.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dalit. Accessed November 2, 2026.

Chicago

WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “Dalit,” accessed November 2, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/Dalit.

Source: Dalit on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.