Definitions

from The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, 5th Edition.

  • adjective Not permitted to be touched.
  • adjective Not capable of being touched or reached.
  • adjective Not permitted to be discussed.
  • adjective Not subject or susceptible to criticism, rebuke, or attack.
  • adjective Not capable of being affected, especially adversely.
  • adjective Not permitted to be altered.
  • adjective Not capable of being rivaled or surpassed.
  • adjective Baseball Not giving up any hits. Used of a pitcher.
  • adjective Relating to or being the Dalit class in traditional Indian society.
  • noun A Dalit.

from The Century Dictionary.

  • Not capable of being touched; intangible; unassailable.

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License.

  • adjective Not able to be touched.
  • noun A criminal so adept, they cannot be arrested or convicted.
  • noun A pariah.
  • noun In the Indian caste system, a member of the lowest caste.
  • noun An incorruptible law enforcement agent

from WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved.

  • adjective beyond the reach of criticism or attack or impeachment
  • adjective ( especially used in traditional Hindu belief of the lowest caste or castes) defiling
  • adjective forbidden to the touch
  • adjective not capable of being obtained
  • noun belongs to lowest social and ritual class in India
  • adjective impossible to assail

Etymologies

from Wiktionary, Creative Commons Attribution/Share-Alike License

un- +‎ touchable

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Examples

  • While caste discrimination has been outlawed for more than 60 years, and the term "untouchable" is now taboo in public, thousands of anti-dalit attacks occur every year.

    The Seattle Times 2011

  • While caste discrimination has been outlawed for more than 60 years, and the term "untouchable" is now taboo in public, thousands of anti-dalit attacks occur every year.

    SFGate: Don Asmussen: Bad Reporter By TIM SULLIVAN 2011

  • Simpson has about $8 million, and this is what you call untouchable money, stuff that they can't touch.

    CNN Transcript Sep 18, 2007 2007

  • "What makes him scary is his ghostlike ability to remain untouchable and enigmatic."

    GreenCine Daily: Zodiac. 2007

  • He was known as the "untouchable" or the "bulldozer": an affable rogue who sailed through one of the longest political careers in

    The Guardian World News Angelique Chrisafis 2011

  • The Empire State of Mind hitmaker was personally invited by Jones to take part in the charity single, but, while he is supportive of the cause, he decided against it because he considers the track to be musically "untouchable" - like the King of Pop's Thriller.

    ContactMusic Ltd | Latest News 2010

  • "Wherever he worked," it says on the award site, "Bevins researched rigorously, and regularly broke otherwise untouched - even 'untouchable' - stories."

    The Guardian World News 2010

  • The group comprises of Ms Mayawati, a member of the Dalit - or "untouchable" - caste, who could emerge as the Prime Minister if her Bahujan Samaj Party does exceptionally well.

    TODAYonline 2009

  • Aside from a few inappropriate quips -- which were anticipated, given the ambiguity of the term "untouchable" -- I got some interesting answers.

    unknown title 2009

  • As a Dalit - an "untouchable" - and a woman, her ascent is already remarkable and a sign of shifting hierarchies and power-bases in India.

    open Democracy News Analysis - Comments 2009

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