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  1. Caste - Wikipedia

    A caste is a fixed social group into which an individual is born within a particular system of social stratification: a caste system.

  2. India - Caste System, Social Hierarchy, Diversity | Britannica

    1 day ago · In South Asia the caste system has been a dominating aspect of social organization for thousands of years. A caste, generally designated by the term jati (“birth”), refers to a …

  3. Caste System: Meaning, Impact, and Contemporary Perspectives

    Mar 6, 2025 · A caste system is a strict social stratification that often depends on discriminatory conceptions of purity or contamination that are passed on through family lines.

  4. CASTE Definition & Meaning - Merriam-Webster

    : a system of rigid social stratification characterized by hereditary status, endogamy, and social barriers sanctioned by custom, law, or religion

  5. The Caste System | World History - Lumen Learning

    The caste system in ancient India was used to establish separate classes of inhabitants based upon their social positions and employment functions in the community.

  6. Caste Definition & Explanation | Sociology Plus

    Aug 25, 2022 · Caste is a more rigorous system of social stratification than class and has a different foundation for legitimacy. Caste membership is assigned rather than earned, and …

  7. Caste System Definition - AP World History: Modern Key Term

    The caste system is a hierarchical social stratification found primarily in India, where individuals are born into specific social groups that determine their occupation, social status, and potential …

  8. Caste system - Definition, Meaning & Synonyms | Vocabulary.com

    A caste system is a class structure that is determined by birth. Loosely, it means that in some societies, the opportunities you have access to depend on the family you happened to be born …

  9. Defining Caste: Social Stratification in India - Sociology Institute

    Mar 13, 2023 · Caste is a complex and multifaceted system that has shaped Indian society for centuries. Its defining features—hereditary membership, endogamy, hierarchy, and notions of …

  10. Caste | Social Stratification & Inequality | Britannica

    Nov 1, 2025 · Caste, any of the ranked, hereditary, endogamous social groups, often linked with occupation, that together constitute traditional societies in South Asia, particularly among …