mahatma
[ muh-haht-muh, -hat- ]
/ məˈhɑt mə, -ˈhæt- /
noun (sometimes initial capital letter)
a Brahman sage.
(especially in India) a person who is held in the highest esteem for wisdom and saintliness.
(in Theosophy) a great sage who has renounced further spiritual development in order to aid those who are less advanced.
Origin of mahatma
1850–55; < Sanskrit
mahātmā, nominative singular of
mahātman high-souled, magnanimous, equivalent to
mahā- great +
ātman
atman
OTHER WORDS FROM mahatma
ma·hat·ma·ism, nounWords nearby mahatma
maharanee,
maharani,
maharashtra,
maharishi,
mahasamadhi,
mahatma,
mahatma gandhi,
mahavira,
mahayana,
mahdi,
mahendra
Definition for mahatma (2 of 2)
Gandhi
[ gahn-dee, gan- ]
/ ˈgɑn di, ˈgæn- /
noun
In·di·ra
[in-deer-uh] /ɪnˈdɪər ə/,1917–84,
Indian political leader: prime minister 1966–77 and 1980–84 (daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru).
Mo·han·das Kar·am·chand
[moh-huh n-dahs kuhr-uh m-chuhnd] /ˌmoʊ hənˈdɑs ˌkʌr əmˈtʃʌnd/, Mahatma,1869–1948,
Hindu religious leader, nationalist, and social reformer.
Ra·jiv
[rah-jeev] /rɑˈdʒiv/,1944–91,
Indian political leader: prime minister 1984–89 (son of Indira).
Example sentences from the Web for mahatma
British Dictionary definitions for mahatma (1 of 2)
mahatma
/ (məˈhɑːtmə, -ˈhæt-) /
noun (sometimes capital)
Hinduism
a Brahman sage
theosophy
an adept or sage
Derived forms of mahatma
mahatmaism, nounWord Origin for mahatma
C19: from Sanskrit
mahātman, from
mahā great +
ātman soul
British Dictionary definitions for mahatma (2 of 2)
Gandhi
/ (ˈɡændɪ) /
noun
Indira (Priyadarshini) (ɪnˈdɪərə, ˈɪndərə), daughter of Jawaharlal Nehru. 1917–84, Indian stateswoman; prime minister of India (1966–77; 1980–84); assassinated
Mohandas Karamchand (ˌməʊhənˈdʌs ˌkʌrəmˈtʃʌnd), known as Mahatma Gandhi. 1869–1948, Indian political and spiritual leader and social reformer. He played a major part in India's struggle for home rule and was frequently imprisoned by the British for organizing acts of civil disobedience. He advocated passive resistance and hunger strikes as means of achieving reform, campaigned for the untouchables, and attempted to unite Muslims and Hindus. He was assassinated by a Hindu extremist
Rajiv (ræˈdʒiːv), son of Indira Gandhi. 1944–91, Indian statesman; prime minister of India (1984–89); assassinated