panchayat
noun
an elective village council in India.
panchayat
American
[puhn-chah-yuht]
/ pənˈtʃɑ yət /
noun
Panchayat
British
/ pənˈtʃɑːjət /
noun
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.
Krishna’s stepbrother, Irani, who sits on the panchayat, said he thought his brother’s refusal to follow tradition was arrogant.
From Washington Post • Apr. 7, 2018
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
"No family would accept me because of the fear of the panchayat," he said.
From Los Angeles Times • Apr. 21, 2015
When this became known the villagers held a panchayat to enquire into the matter, but the girl flatly declined to give any information and her father and brothers were unable to point out the offender.
From Folklore of the Santal Parganas by Bompas, Cecil Henry
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.
