casta

caste; clique

noun KAH-stah Rare

Origin: From Portuguese 'casta' (pure breed), itself from Latin 'castus' (pure).

Usage Note

Casta primarily refers to the rigid hereditary social divisions of the Indian caste system, but in Italian political discourse it is widely used — often pejoratively — to mean a self-serving elite or ruling class (la casta politica). Do not confuse with casata (dynasty/noble house) or casto (chaste).

Examples

"La casta politica ignora i cittadini."

Natural Translation

The political caste ignores the citizens.

Related Words

Explore Italian by topic

ItalianNow

Days & Months in Italian: A Beginner's Guide

Days of the week in Italian are lowercase, all masculine except la domenica, and il lunedì means every Monday. Learn the days, months, dates, and seasons.

June 5, 2026 4 min read

ItalianNow

Most Common Italian Verbs: The 10 That Unlock Speech

Drill these 10 most common Italian verbs first and you unlock past tense, modals, and the progressive — a 7-day plan with every present-tense form to memorize.

June 9, 2026 5 min read

ItalianNow

Italian Hand Gestures: Meanings & When to Use

Italian hand gestures decoded: what the pinched fingers, cheek screw, and chin flick mean, which ones are safe to use, and the one gesture to never make.

June 5, 2026 6 min read

ItalianNow

C'è vs Ci Sono: There Is/Are in Italian

C'è for one thing, ci sono for many — that's the rule. Master Italian's there is/there are with c'era, ci sarà, è vs c'è, and non c'è nessuno.

June 9, 2026 5 min read