anicca

[ uh-nik-uh ]

noun

, Buddhism.

1. the cycle of birth, growth, decay, and death through which every living thing must pass.

anicca

/ ˈænikə /

noun

1. (in Theravada Buddhism) the belief that all things, including the self, are impermanent and constantly changing: the first of the three basic characteristics of existence Compare anata dukkha

Word History and Origins

Origin of anicca¹

< Pali < Sanskrit anitya not everlasting, equivalent to a- a- ⁶ + nitya eternal

Word History and Origins

Origin of anicca¹

Pali, literally: impermanence

Example Sentences

In Buddhism, anicca is one of the three signs of existence, the others being dukkha, or suffering, and anatta, or non-selfhood.

From Time

Anicca, or impermanence, they call it.

From Time