panchayat

[ puh n-chah-yuh t ]

/ pənˈtʃɑ yət /

noun

an elective village council in India.

Nearby words

Origin of panchayat

First recorded in 1880–85, panchayat is from the Hindi word pañcāyat

Dictionary.com Unabridged Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019

Examples from the Web for panchayat

The Panchayat is only a rough and ready way of settling disputes, or punishing minor offences.
India and the Indians|Edward F. Elwin
There is another reason why the Panchayat, as applied to Christian congregations, is not altogether wholesome.
India and the Indians|Edward F. Elwin
He however refused to accept the decision and said that he would go and find two people to represent him on the panchayat.
Folklore of the Santal Parganas|Cecil Henry Bompas
However he had to give back the cow and pay twenty-five rupees to the panchayat.
Folklore of the Santal Parganas|Cecil Henry Bompas

So off went the owner of the cow to the Raja and told him that he wanted to call a panchayat.
Folklore of the Santal Parganas|Cecil Henry Bompas

British Dictionary definitions for panchayat

Panchayat

/ (pənˈtʃɑːjət) /

noun

a village council in India

Word Origin for Panchayat

Hindi, from Sanskrit panch five, because such councils originally consisted of five members

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