Logo
dictionary thesaurus

mahatma

noun
ma·​hat·​ma | \ mə-ˈhät-mə How to pronounce mahatma (audio) , -ˈhat- How to pronounce mahatma (audio) \

Definition of mahatma

1 : a person to be revered for high-mindedness, wisdom, and selflessness
2 : a person of great prestige in a field of endeavor
Did You Know? Example Sentences Learn More about mahatma

Keep scrolling for more

Did You Know?

Mahatma is an adaptation of the Sanskrit word mahātman, which literally meant "great-souled." As a general, uncapitalized English noun, "mahatma" can refer to any great person; in India, it is used as a title of love and respect. When capitalized, however, it usually refers to Mohandas Karamchand Gandhi, the great leader who helped guide India to independence in 1947. Renowned for his policy of nonviolent protest, he was widely known as "Mahatma Gandhi" or "the Mahatma." The title was reportedly conferred on him by poet Rabindranath Tagore in 1915, but spiritual leader and author Paramahansa Yogananda claimed that Gandhi didn’t embrace it himself. According to Yogananda, Gandhi never referred to himself as "Mahatma," but rather "made some humble, and witty, protests about the title."

Examples of mahatma in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

 But a statue of Mohandas Gandhi in a Delhi park seemed girded for the struggle ahead: Antipollution campaigners had fitted the mahatma with a respirator mask. — Brook Larmer, New York Times, "What Does It Take to Stop Accepting Pollution as the Price of Progress?," 23 Jan. 2018

First Known Use of mahatma

1923, in the meaning defined at sense 1

History and Etymology for mahatma

Sanskrit mahātman, from mahātman great-souled, from mahat + ātman soul — more at atman

Keep scrolling for more

Keep scrolling for more

More Definitions for mahatma

mahatma

noun
How to pronounce mahatma (audio) How to pronounce mahatma (audio)

English Language Learners Definition of mahatma

: a person who is respected for being good, wise, and holy

See the full definition for mahatma in the English Language Learners Dictionary

WORD OF THE DAY

cantankerous

play

See Definitions and Examples

Get Word of the Day daily email!