Brahman

¹ American  

[brah-muhn] / ˈbrɑ mən /

noun

Hinduism.

plural

Brahmans

1. Also a member of the highest, or priestly, class among the Hindus.

2. Also the impersonal supreme being, the primal source and ultimate goal of all beings, with which Atman, when enlightened, knows itself to be identical.

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Brahman ² American  

[brey-muhn, brah-] / ˈbreɪ mən, ˈbrɑ- /

noun

1. any of several breeds of Indian cattle, especially a grayish, heat-resistant American breed raised chiefly in the Gulf States.

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Brahman British  

/ brɑːˈmænɪk, ˈbrɑːmən /

noun

1. Also called (esp formerly): Brahmin.  (sometimes not capital) a member of the highest or priestly caste in the Hindu caste system

2. Hinduism the ultimate and impersonal divine reality of the universe, from which all being originates and to which it returns

3. another name for Brahma 1

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Other Word Forms

• Brahmanic adjective
• Brahmanical adjective
• non-Brahmanic adjective
• non-Brahmanical adjective

Etymology

Origin of Brahman¹

First recorded in 1475–85; from Sanskrit brāhmaṇa Brahman ¹ ( for def. 1 ), brahman Brahman ¹ ( for def. 2 )

Origin of Brahman²

1935–40; special use of Brahman priest

Example Sentences

A couple of Brahman cows stand in a field before it cuts to the Texas town’s historic downtown.

From Los Angeles Times • Nov. 13, 2023

Another import from India to central Vietnam was the idea of a society led by a priestly Brahman class and deities such as Shiva, identified with the Champa kings.

From Textbooks • Apr. 19, 2023

The supreme being from whom the universe emerged, Brahman, appears in the ancient sacred writings known as the Vedas without gender.

From Seattle Times • Dec. 8, 2022

At Waterloo and elsewhere, Brahman herds are growing and being readied for the journey north.

From New York Times • Nov. 30, 2022

I was in search of Brahman and revered the eternal in Atman.

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse