swami

noun

swa·​mi ˈswä-mē How to pronounce swami (audio)
1
: a Hindu ascetic or religious teacher
specifically : a senior member of a religious order
used as a title
2
: one that resembles or emulates a swami : pundit, seer

Examples of swami in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web The swami named her Ganga, for the Ganges River. BostonGlobe.com, 5 June 2021 In the mid-’80s, when the community had swollen to more than 600 residents, New Vrindaban’s swami, a thin-lipped former Baptist, was accused of ordering the assassination of two disgruntled devotees. Ashley Stimpson, Longreads, 19 Feb. 2022 Yogananda was the first Indian swami to make America his home. Deborah Netburn, Los Angeles Times, 19 Nov. 2020 Also born into an upper-caste family, Mr. Manav says he was compelled to drop his last name – a signifier of one’s caste – after hearing the swami speak. Soumya Shankar, The Christian Science Monitor, 21 May 2020 The statue of Hanuman Murti (inset above), god of courage, was a gift from a swami in the motherland to consecrate Sri Dattatreya Yoga Centre in 2003. Omar Mouallem, WSJ, 17 Jan. 2020 Perhaps realising how bad things had become, my grandfather agreed to take a vow of celibacy in the presence of a swami. Vikram Zutshi, Quartz India, 19 July 2019 On one side were Mr. Cohn and free-trade advocates, and on the other was the Administration’s protectionist wing led by Commerce Secretary Wilbur Ross, trade negotiator Robert Lighthizer and Mr. Trump’s personal trade swami, Peter Navarro. The Editorial Board, WSJ, 6 Mar. 2018 Delegates from both parties, all Lingayats, plead quietly for a moment of the swami’s dwindling time. The Economist, 23 Sep. 2017

These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'swami.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.

Word History

Etymology

Hindi svāmī, from Sanskrit svāmin owner, lord, from sva one's own — more at suicide

First Known Use

1895, in the meaning defined at sense 1

Time Traveler
The first known use of swami was in 1895

Dictionary Entries Near swami

Cite this Entry

“Swami.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/swami. Accessed 28 Mar. 2024.

Kids Definition

swami

noun
swa·​mi ˈswäm-ē How to pronounce swami (audio)
1
: a Hindu priest or religious teacher
used as a title
2

More from Merriam-Webster on swami

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