Definition

A situation where shops and offices are closed, usually as a form of protest or strike.

Example

The workers organized a hartal to demand better wages and working conditions.

Conversation

Did you hear about the hartal happening tomorrow?

Yeah, I read it in the news. It's supposed to be pretty significant.

I wonder how it will affect our plans for the weekend.

We might need to reschedule; a hartal can really disrupt everything.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Hartal originates from the Hindi word 'hartāl', which means a strike or protest involving a general shutdown of work. The term is derived from 'har' (meaning to take away) and 'tāl' (meaning to stop or halt).

Memory Tip

Think of a situation where people are 'taking away' ('har') their work and 'stopping' ('tāl') all activities to protest — that's what a hartal means.

Visually Confused Words