Dalit
Americannoun
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a member of the Scheduled Castes in India, sometimes also considered to include a member of the Scheduled Tribes.
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a member of any of India’s oppressed peoples.
noun
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
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
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
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
Ghaywan has openly shared that he was born into a Dalit family - a reality that has cast a long shadow over his life, haunting him since childhood.
From BBC • May 22, 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
A modern historian who studies the lives of Dalit women through the lens of caste, gender and sexuality, Paik grew up in India but has been working in the US for 20 years.
From BBC • Oct. 17, 2024
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
