To save this word, you'll need to log in. I felt like a pariah when I wore the wrong outfit to the dinner party. See More Recent Examples on the Web The opening comes from the fall last year of Sudanese dictator Omar al-Bashir, who had ruled for 30 years and turned Sudan into a pariah state.

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There's nothing worse than being a social pariah—in other words, "an outcast," someone banished to the fringes of the cafeteria with no one to sit with. But, did this word always have a negative meaning? Pariah is often used to refer to a person who is widely shunned for some offense they have committed. It is often used in the phrase social pariah and in the context of politics.
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See also untouchable. Info Print Cite. Submit Feedback. Thank you for your feedback. The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica Encyclopaedia Britannica's editors oversee subject areas in which they have extensive knowledge, whether from years of experience gained by working on that content or via study for an advanced degree See Article History. This article was most recently revised and updated by Matt Stefon , Assistant Editor. Learn More in these related Britannica articles:. Untouchable , in traditional Indian society, the former name for any member of a wide range of low-caste Hindu groups and any person outside the caste system.