Harijan
[ har-i-jan ]
/ ˈhær ɪˌdʒæn /
Save This Word!
noun, plural Har·i·jans, (especially collectively) Har·i·jan.
Disparaging and Offensive. (in India) a member of a group formerly known as the untouchables: Harijan is a term used by Mohandas K. Gandhi but now considered condescending.
QUIZ
QUIZ YOURSELF ON "IS" VS. "ARE"
"Is" it time for a new quiz? "Are" you ready? Then prove your excellent skills on using "is" vs. "are."
Question 1 of 7
IS and ARE are both forms of which verb?
Sometimes harijan .
Origin of Harijan
First recorded in 1930–35; from Neo-Sanskrit harijana “person of Hari” (a name for Vishnu), hence, in Gandhi's conception, a child of God
Words nearby Harijan
Hargeisa, Hargreaves, haricot, haricot vert, Haridwar, Harijan, hari-kari, Haringey, harira, Hari Rud, Harishchandra
Dictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2022
British Dictionary definitions for Harijan
Harijan
/ (ˈhʌrɪdʒən) /
noun
a member of certain classes in India, formerly considered inferior and untouchableSee scheduled castes
Word Origin for Harijan
Hindi, literally: man of God (so called by Mahatma Gandhi), from Hari god + jan man
Collins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012