Dalit

American  

[dah-lit] / ˈdɑˌlɪt /

Sometimes dalit

noun

Sometimes Offensive.

Dalits, plural Dalit plural

1. a member of the Scheduled Castes in India, sometimes also considered to include a member of the Scheduled Tribes.

2. a member of any of India’s oppressed peoples.

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Dalit British  

/ ˈdɑːlɪt /

noun

1. Formerly called: untouchable.  offensive a member of the lowest class in India, whom those of the four main castes were formerly forbidden to touch

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Usage

The term Dalit, which has replaced untouchable, can have negative connotations: its literal meaning is “oppressed; broken.” The Indian courts and government instead use the terms Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe. But Dalit is used in the media and has been adopted by politically active group members as a positive term of self-reference. It generally represents a sense of solidarity and identity and holds political significance for members of this community.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• Dalit
  plural
• Dalits
  plural

Etymology

Origin of Dalit

First recorded in 1945–50; from Hindi dalit, from Neo-Sanskrit dalita, specific use of Sanskrit dalita “broken,” from root dal- “to break, burst, split”

Example Sentences

Muslims bore the brunt in districts like Murshidabad and Malda, while Dalit Hindus - especially from the Bangladeshi migrant Matua community - were hardest hit in North 24-Parganas and Nadia.

From BBC • Apr. 12, 2026

Kabir Maan, an educator and trans man from India's marginalised Dalit community, voiced similar concerns.

From Barron's • Mar. 24, 2026

The girl is from the Dalit community, which is at the bottom of the Hindu caste hierarchy.

From BBC • Jun. 3, 2025

While her acting skills earned admiration, it was rare for a Dalit woman to take up acting at the time.

From BBC • May 17, 2025

“There are statistics but there was no qualitative research. No one had written the history of caste through the vantage point of Dalit women, so I decided that I wanted to do this work.”

From BBC • Oct. 17, 2024