The Word “Outcast”: Meaning, Usage, and Translations Across 30 Languages
Meaning of “Outcast”
The word “outcast” refers to a person who has been rejected or excluded from a group, society, or community, often due to social, moral, or personal reasons. Being an outcast implies a sense of alienation, isolation, and ostracism, where the individual is either physically or emotionally distanced from others. The term can be used to describe someone who has been discriminated against, exiled, or who simply does not fit in with the norms of a particular group or society.
- Social Exclusion:
An outcast is someone who has been excluded from social, professional, or cultural groups. This can happen due to reasons such as differing beliefs, behaviors, or lifestyles that don’t align with societal expectations. - Cultural Alienation:
A person may become an outcast because they don’t conform to cultural, social, or religious practices that are accepted by the majority. This may result in exile or alienation, as the individual becomes marginalized. - Moral or Legal Outcasting:
In some cases, an individual becomes an outcast due to violating social or moral norms, like committing a crime, betraying trust, or going against cultural values. These actions lead to ostracism or being cast out by the community. - Symbolic and Emotional Isolation:
Beyond physical exclusion, the word “outcast” can also refer to someone who feels emotionally or psychologically isolated, whether they have been actively rejected or simply feel like they don’t belong.
Usage of “Outcast” in Different Contexts
- Social Rejection:
“After his controversial opinions, he became an outcast in his own community.” This shows how someone can be rejected and excluded from social or professional circles. - Cultural or Religious Exclusion:
“She was seen as an outcast because of her unorthodox religious beliefs.” In this case, the individual is marginalized due to their differing faith or practices. - Emotional or Psychological Isolation:
“He always felt like an outcast, even among his friends.” This highlights the emotional experience of feeling isolated or different from others, even without active rejection. - Exile or Banishment:
“The king ordered the traitor to be exiled, making him an outcast from the kingdom.” This usage refers to someone who is banished or cast out from a community as a form of punishment. - Outcast in Literature:
“The novel follows the journey of an outcast who learns to find belonging despite his rejection.” In literature, the term is often used symbolically to represent themes of alienation and self-discovery.
Translations of “Outcast” in 30 Languages
The concept of an outcast is recognized in many cultures around the world, with slight variations in the way it is expressed. Below are translations of “outcast” in various languages, along with example sentences illustrating its use.
| Language | Translation | Example Sentence |
|---|---|---|
| English | Outcast | “He was treated as an outcast after the scandal.” |
| Spanish | Marginado | “Después del escándalo, se convirtió en un marginado.” (After the scandal, he became an outcast.) |
| French | Paria | “Elle a été traitée comme une paria dans sa propre famille.” (She was treated like an outcast in her own family.) |
| German | Ausgestoßener | “Nach seinem Vergehen wurde er ein Ausgestoßener.” (After his offense, he became an outcast.) |
| Italian | Emarginato | “Dopo il suo crimine, è diventato un emarginato.” (After his crime, he became an outcast.) |
| Portuguese | Excluído | “Ele foi excluído da comunidade por seus atos.” (He was excluded from the community for his actions.) |
| Russian | Изгнанник (Izgnannik) | “Он стал изгнанником после того, как нарушил законы.” (He became an outcast after breaking the laws.) |
| Chinese | 被排斥者 (Bèi páichì zhě) | “他因为不同的观点被视为被排斥者。” (He was viewed as an outcast because of his differing views.) |
| Japanese | 追放者 (Tsuihōsha) | “彼は家族から追放者として扱われた。” (He was treated as an outcast by his family.) |
| Korean | 추방자 (Chubangja) | “그는 배신으로 추방자가 되었다.” (He became an outcast because of betrayal.) |
| Hindi | बहिष्कृत (Bahishkrit) | “उसने अपने कामों के कारण खुद को बहिष्कृत किया।” (He made himself an outcast due to his actions.) |
| Bengali | বহিষ্কৃত (Bôhiṣkr̥t) | “তাঁকে তাঁর অপরাধের জন্য বহিষ্কৃত করা হয়েছিল।” (He was outcast for his crime.) |
| Turkish | Dışlanmış | “Skandal yüzünden dışlanmış bir insan oldu.” (He became an outcast because of the scandal.) |
| Dutch | Paria | “Na zijn schandelijke daden werd hij een paria.” (After his disgraceful actions, he became an outcast.) |
| Swedish | Utslängd | “Efter hans misstag blev han utslängd från samhället.” (After his mistake, he was thrown out of society.) |
| Norwegian | Utstøtt | “Han ble utstøtt etter å ha begått en alvorlig forbrytelse.” (He was outcast after committing a serious crime.) |
| Greek | Απορριπτέος (Apórripteos) | “Απορρίφθηκε και έγινε απορριπτέος στην κοινότητα.” (He was rejected and became an outcast in the community.) |
| Polish | Wyrzutek | “Stał się wyrzutkiem po skandalu.” (He became an outcast after the scandal.) |
| Czech | Vytěsněnec | “Po svých činech se stal vytěsněncem ve společnosti.” (After his actions, he became an outcast in society.) |
| Finnish | Hylkiö | “Hänestä tuli hylkiö yhteisössään.” (He became an outcast in his community.) |
| Hungarian | Kitaszított | “A bűnei miatt kitaszították a társadalomból.” (He was outcast from society because of his crimes.) |
| Hebrew | מנותק (Menutak) | “הוא הפך למנותק אחרי המעשה השפל שעשה.” (He became an outcast after the vile act he committed.) |
| Thai | คนที่ถูกขับไล่ (Kon thī̀ thūk khàplai) | “เขาถูกขับไล่จากสังคมหลังจากทำผิด” (He was outcast from society after making a mistake.) |
| Indonesian | Terasing | “Dia menjadi terasing setelah perbuatan jahatnya.” (He became an outcast after his evil deeds.) |
| Malay | Terpinggir | “Dia terpinggirkan kerana pendapatnya yang berbeza.” (He was outcast because of his differing opinions.) |
| Vietnamese | Người bị tẩy chay | “Anh ta đã trở thành người bị tẩy chay sau khi phạm sai lầm.” (He became an outcast after making a mistake.) |
| Ukrainian | Вигнанець (Vihnanets) | “Після того, як він порушив закони, він став вигнанцем.” (After breaking the law, he became an outcast.) |
| Romanian | Proscris | “A devenit proscris din cauza acțiunilor sale.” (He became an outcast because of his actions.) |
| Swahili | Mtu aliyejitenga | “Alijitenga kutoka kwa jamii baada ya makosa yake.” (He became an outcast from society after his mistakes.) |
| Persian | طرد شده (Tard Shode) | “او به دلیل خیانت از جامعه طرد شد.” (He was outcast from society for his betrayal.) |
| Malayalam | ഒറ്റപ്പെട്ടവന് (Ottappettavanu) | “അദ്ദേഹം തന്റെ പിശകിനായി ഒറ്റപ്പെട്ടവനായി മാറി.” (He became an outcast for his mistake.) |
| Tamil | தவிர்க்கப்பட்டவர் (Tavirkaṭṭappatta var) | “அவர் தனது தவறுக்காக தவிர்க்கப்பட்டவர் ஆனார்.” (He became an outcast for his mistake.) |
| Arabic | منبوذ (Manbūd) | “تم نبذه من قبل الجميع بسبب أفعاله.” (He was outcast by everyone due to his actions.) |
Conclusion
The word “outcast” conveys a powerful sense of social exclusion, alienation, and isolation. Across cultures and languages, the concept remains a deeply emotional and significant term, evoking feelings of rejection and marginalization. Whether due to criminal actions, cultural differences, emotional isolation, or social mistakes, the outcast stands as a symbol of disconnection from the larger society. The term carries with it not only the physical absence from a group but also the emotional and psychological toll that accompanies alienation and ostracism. As reflected in various languages, an outcast can represent different forms of societal exclusion, but the underlying idea remains universal: a person who no longer belongs to the community they once were part of.
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