Subaltern

Meaning

Belonging to marginalised groups outside the structures of power whose voices are excluded from dominant narratives.

Origin / Etymology

Latin sub (under) and alternus (every other), originally a junior military rank, repurposed by historians of marginal groups

Synonyms

Marginalised Subordinated Voiceless

Antonyms

Dominant Elite Hegemonic

Example Sentence

"Subaltern histories recover the role of peasants, tribals and women that colonial archives rendered invisible."

🎯 UPSC Usage

Deploy in GS1 modern history and Essay answers on historiography, marginalisation and bottom-up movements.

Relevant Subjects

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