BharatNotes Communal
adjectiveUsage in a UPSC answer
Sustained communal harmony cannot rest on coercion alone; it demands inclusive institutions, impartial policing and an education system that nurtures constitutional fraternity over sectarian identity.
Synonyms
Antonyms
Word Family
communal (adj), communally (adv), communalism (n), communalist (n), communalize (v), community (n)
Root
Latin communis = common, shared → Late Latin communalis → French communal; Indian sense developed in colonial era
Etymology
From French communal, from Late Latin communalis, from Latin communis ("common, shared"); in Indian usage, the term acquired its distinctive religious-identity connotation during the colonial period.
Memory Hook
"Communal" sits inside "community" — both grow from Latin communis, "common": what a community holds in common is communal. (Note the Indian-English twist: when communities clash on religious lines, the friction is also called "communal".)
Seen in UPSC Question Papers
- Prelims 2012 — Modern India
Real UPSC previous-year questions whose text uses “Communal” — proof this word earns its place on your list.
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