Dictionary.com
Thesaurus.com

panchayat

American  
[puhn-chah-yuht] / pənˈtʃɑ yət /

noun

  1. an elective village council in India.


Panchayat British  
/ pənˈtʃɑːjət /

noun

  1. a village council in India

"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

Etymology

Origin of panchayat

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

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.

Due to get married later this year, Mr Tamaichekar and his fiancée have already informed the panchayat in the city of Pune, where they live, that they will not undergo the test.

From BBC • Jan. 31, 2018

Village councils, called panchayat or jirga, are illegal but widespread in rural areas where the justice system is out of reach or perceived to be untrustworthy.

From The Guardian • Nov. 1, 2017

Arun Jadhav, who is not directly related to Dilip Jadhav, said he had been called to the village that day to attend a memorial service for the teenager’s mother that evolved into the panchayat meeting.

From Washington Post • May 9, 2016

"No family would accept me because of the fear of the panchayat," he said.

From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2015

When the Raja received this message it made him very angry, however he went outside the city and met the panchayat and ordered them to get to business quickly.

From Folklore of the Santal Parganas by Bompas, Cecil Henry