outcast vs outcaste :

outcast or outcaste

Believe it or not, these two similar words have very different origins. An “outcast” is someone who has been cast (thrown) out of a group, and may be used loosely of all kinds of loners. An “outcaste” is technically a South Asian person who has been expelled from his or her caste, or a person who lacks a caste identification. Although this spelling can be used metaphorically, it is probably better to confine it to discussions of social relations in Hinduism and other South Asian contexts.

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Definitions

  • n  a person who is rejected (from society or home)
  • s  excluded from a society

  • n  a person belonging to no caste
  • s  not belonging to or having been expelled from a caste and thus having no place or status in society
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