the power, as of a god, to produce illusions.
the production of an illusion.
(in Vedantic philosophy) the illusion of the reality of sensory experience and of the experienced qualities and attributes of oneself.
Also called Mahamaya. (initial capital letter) a goddess personifying the power that creates phenomena.
a member of a major pre-Columbian civilization of the Yucatán Peninsula that reached its peak in the 9th century a.d. and produced magnificent ceremonial cities with pyramids, a sophisticated mathematical and calendar system, hieroglyphic writing, and fine sculpture, painting, and ceramics.
a member of a modern Indigenous people of southern Mexico, Guatemala, and parts of Honduras who are the descendants of this ancient civilization.
any of the Mayan languages; the historical and modern languages of the Maya.
Also called: Mayan. a member of an American Indian people of Yucatan, Belize, and N Guatemala, having an ancient culture once characterized by outstanding achievements in architecture, astronomy, chronology, painting, and pottery
the language of this people See also Mayan
Borrowed into English from Sanskrit around 1815–25
First recorded in 1810–20; from Spanish, from Yucatec Maya mayab “flat,” a self-designation
Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.
Royal Caribbean scrapped current plans for a private island near Costa Maya, Mexico, after government opposition.
From The Wall Street Journal • May 29, 2026
In the evenings, Maya Angelou cleaned and put away all her dishes before she sat with what she had written that morning.
From Los Angeles Times • May 15, 2026
Maya Forstater, chief executive of Sex Matters, previously said the Corporation's proposed policy "is simply unlawful".
From BBC • May 13, 2026
"It is declared that the vote of the National Assembly taken on 13 December 2022... is inconsistent with the Constitution, invalid, and it is set aside," the Constitutional Court's Chief Justice Mandisa Maya said.
From Barron's • May 8, 2026
Maya kept walking across the room toward the exit, looking at me and Lina as she walked.
From "Auggie & Me" by R. J. Palacio
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
