a body of religious and philosophical beliefs and cultural practices native to India and based on a caste system; it is characterized by a belief in reincarnation, by a belief in a supreme being of many forms and natures, by the view that opposing theories are aspects of one eternal truth, and by a desire for liberation from earthly evils | in some social insects (such as ants) a physically distinct individual or group of individuals specialized to perform certain functions in the colony |
the religion of most people in India, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, and Nepal | a social class separated from others by distinctions of hereditary rank or profession or wealth |
| (Hinduism) a hereditary social class among Hindus; stratified according to ritual purity |
| social status or position conferred by a system based on class |