1. the former Hindu practice of a widow burning herself on her husband’s funeral pyre
Usage: historical
2. a Hindu widow who immolates herself on her husband’s funeral pyre
Usage: historical

Examples

• The practice of suttee was officially banned by the British colonial government in 1829.
• Historical records document instances of suttee in certain regions of India.
• Social reformers worked to abolish suttee and other harmful traditional practices.
• The widow who performed suttee was often considered a martyr by some communities.
• Modern India has completely outlawed suttee as a criminal act.
• Scholars study suttee as part of understanding historical social customs.