Harijan

UK:*UK and possibly other pronunciationsUK and possibly other pronunciations/ˈhʌrɪdʒən/US:USA pronunciation: respellingUSA pronunciation: respelling(har′i jan′)


WordReference Random House Unabridged Dictionary of American English © 2025
Har•i•jan  (har′i jan′),USA pronunciation n., pl. - jans, (esp. collectively) - jan. (often l.c.)[Hinduism.]
  1. Eastern Religionsuntouchable (def. 5).
  2. Eastern Religionsa member of the group formerly known as untouchables in India: a term used by Mohandas K. Gandhi.
  • Neo-Sanskrit harijana person of Hari (a name for Vishnu), hence, in Gandhi's conception, a child of God
  • 1930–35

Collins Concise English Dictionary © HarperCollins Publishers::
Harijan / ˈhʌrɪdʒən/
  1. a member of certain classes in India, formerly considered inferior and untouchable
    See scheduled castes
Etymology: Hindi, literally: man of God (so called by Mahatma Gandhi), from Hari god + jan man
'Harijan' also found in these entries (note: many are not synonyms or translations):
scheduled castes - untouchable

Forum discussions with the word(s) "Harijan" in the title:


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