Om

¹ American  

[awm] / ɔm /

Also Aum

noun

Hinduism.

1. a mantric word thought to be a complete expression of Brahman and interpreted as having three sounds representing Brahma or creation, Vishnu or preservation, and Siva or destruction, or as consisting of the same three sounds, representing waking, dreams, and deep sleep, along with the following silence, which is fulfillment.

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Om. ² American  

abbreviation

1. Ostmark.

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O.M. ³ American  

abbreviation

British.

1. Order of Merit.

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OM ¹ British  

abbreviation

1. Order of Merit (a Brit title)

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symbol

1. currency (the former) Ostmark

Om ² British  

/ əʊm /

noun

1. Hinduism a sacred syllable typifying the three gods Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva, who are concerned in the threefold operation of integration, maintenance, and disintegration

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OM ³ British  

abbreviation

1. Oman (international car registration)

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om ⁴ British  

abbreviation

1. Oman

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Etymology

Origin of Om

Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1780–90

Example Sentences

"They were arrested this morning and the process will move forward according to the law," Kathmandu Valley police spokesman Om Adhikari told newswire Agence France-Presse.

From BBC • Mar. 27, 2026

In Egypt, which increased the cost of fuels by up to 30 percent, mother-of-six Om Mohamed fretted about the future.

From Barron's • Mar. 11, 2026

Om is said to be the mantra describing the sound of the universe.

From Salon • Sep. 12, 2024

On a recent afternoon, Om Prakash Bhatia went to house after house in a New Delhi neighborhood inviting people to take part in Hindu ceremonies at local temples.

From Seattle Times • Jan. 16, 2024

He saw Kamala’s songbird in its cage; he lived it all over again, breathed Samsara, was again old and tired, again felt nausea and the desire to die, again heard the holy Om.

From "Siddhartha" by Hermann Hesse