Dalai Lama

[ dah-lahy lah-muh ]

noun

1. (formerly) the ruler and chief monk of Tibet, believed to be a reincarnation of Avalokitesvara and sought for among newborn children after the death of the preceding Dalai Lama.

Dalai Lama

/ ˈdælaɪ ˈlɑːmə /

noun

1. (until 1959) the chief lama and ruler of Tibet
2. Dalai Lama1935MTibetanRELIGION: religious leader born 1935, the 14th holder of this office (1940), who fled to India (1959): Nobel peace prize 1989

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dalai Lama¹

From Mongolian, equivalent to dalai “ocean” + lama “a celibate priest”

Word History and Origins

Origin of Dalai Lama¹

from Mongolian dalai ocean; see lama

Example Sentences

The Dalai Lama has said there is no Tibetan word for this disorder.

From Salon

She’s held hands with the Dalai Lama, won a Kennedy Center Honor and adores her brother, Warren Beatty.

From Los Angeles Times

In 2000, during his first term as prime minister, Mr. Orban met in Budapest with the Dalai Lama, the exiled Tibetan leader, but is now a persistent opponent within the European Union of any criticism of Chinese policies in Tibet, Hong Kong and the western region of Xinjiang, home to the persecuted Uyghur minority.

From New York Times

The protesters carried Tibetan flags and photographs of their spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama.

From Seattle Times

The 88-year-old Dalai Lama has made the Indian hillside town of Dharmsala his headquarters since fleeing from Tibet after a failed uprising against Chinese rule in 1959.

From Seattle Times