Brahmin

[ brah-min ]

noun

, plural Brah·min, Brah·mins.

1. Hinduism. Brahman ¹( def 1 ).
2. (especially in New England) a person usually from an old, respected family who, because of wealth and social position, wields considerable social, economic, and political power.
3. a person who is intellectually or socially aloof.

adjective

1. of, relating to, or characteristic of a Brahmin:

   the Brahmin attitudes of a true aristocrat.

Brahmin

/ ˈbrɑːmɪn /

noun

1. See Brahman
   the older spelling of Brahman
2. (in the US) a highly intelligent or socially exclusive person, esp a member of one of the older New England families
3. an intellectual or social snob

Derived Forms

• Brahˈminic, adjective

Other Words From

• Brah·min·ic [brah-, min, -ik], Brah·mini·cal adjective
• non-Brah·minic adjective
• non-Brah·mini·cal adjective
• un-Brah·mini·cal adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Brahmin¹

First recorded in 1475–85; variant of Brahman ¹

Example Sentences

One engineer and former contractor for Cisco said he was temporarily removed from a WhatsApp group with other Cisco workers after sharing a news story critical of Brahmin supremacy.

From Washington Post

I didn't realize that in part they were an engine for perpetuating the Brahmin class of New England.

From The Daily Beast

Yet how came it that even a low-caste mongrel of a Lascar should offer such an overt insult to a Brahmin!

From Project Gutenberg

He heard Mohammedans alluding to a Brahmin as a leader—so might a wolf and a snake make common alliance against a watch dog.

From Project Gutenberg

“I shall renew the bombardment, and put every one of you to death in a few days,” threatened the Brahmin.

From Project Gutenberg

Chumru had long ago decided to send the Brahmin to the place where all unbelievers go, at the first suitable opportunity.

From Project Gutenberg

They erect altars to the god Rama beneath its shade, and there, too, the Brahmin instructs his scholars.

From Project Gutenberg

Related Words

• debutante