avatar

American  

[av-uh-tahr, av-uh-tahr] / ˈæv əˌtɑr, ˌæv əˈtɑr /

noun

• avatars
  plural

1. Hinduism. the descent of a deity to the earth in an incarnate form or some manifest shape; the incarnation of a god.

2. an embodiment or personification, as of a principle, attitude, or view of life.

   Her complete loss of confidence was particularly unsettling, because generally she is the very avatar of hope.

3. Digital Technology. a static or moving image or other graphic representation that acts as a proxy for a person or is associated with a specific digital account or identity, as on the internet.

   My friend always chooses warriors as his video game avatars.

   Now that spring's here I've switched my Instagram avatar from a stack of books to a robin's egg.

4. Also called avatar mouse, mouse avatar. a mouse that is implanted with cells or tissue freshly extracted from a human being, as to test drug therapies for an individual patient or to study a disease process.

   Researchers transplanted samples of the patient’s tumor into specially bred avatars.

5. (in science fiction) a hybrid creature, composed of human and alien DNA and remotely controlled by the mind of a genetically matched human being.

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avatar British  

/ ˈævəˌtɑː /

noun

1. Hinduism the manifestation of a deity, notably Vishnu, in human, superhuman, or animal form

2. a visible manifestation or embodiment of an abstract concept; archetype

3. a movable image that represents a person in a virtual reality environment or in cyberspace

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avatar Cultural  

1. In Hinduism, a god made visibly present, especially in a human form. The Buddha is considered an avatar of the god Vishnu.

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Discover More

By extension, an “avatar” is any new embodiment of an old idea.

Other Word Forms

Noun Inflected Forms

• avatars
  plural

Etymology

Origin of avatar

First recorded in 1775–85; from Sanskrit avatāra “a passing down, descent,” from ava “down” + -tāra “a passing over” (akin to Latin trāns “across, beyond, through”; see also through ( def. ))

Explanation

You might know this word from video games, where you create an avatar to represent you on screen. An avatar is something that embodies something else. In Hinduism the different gods can take many different forms, and when they took human forms, the human was their avatar. Eventually, the word avatar came to mean the embodiment not just of a god, but also of any abstract idea. If you have a cool head, you might see yourself as the avatar of reasonableness in a fight. Video game avatars are sort of a reverse of the first meaning––a physical entity (you) form becomes something abstract (a video game guy).

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

avatar avatars

From the start, Alice is the viewer’s avatar, at once a skilled security operative and someone with no memory of their past.

From Salon ● Sep. 23, 2026

It more recently found a prominent avatar in 20-year-old Braden Peters, known online as Clavicular, whose cultural ascent has lasted, in his own estimation, only seven months so far.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Aug. 21, 2026

He cited Councilmember Soto-Martinez, a renter and union organizer, as probably the best avatar of that.

From Los Angeles Times ● Jun. 7, 2026

Talking to Ed James on BBC Radio WM, she said that plans for the avatar were brilliant.

From BBC ● May 26, 2026

My avatar was still only first level at the time, and it was one of the only safe ways for me to level up.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Meta, which was formerly known as Facebook, has pushed this idea of the metaverse — digital spaces where people will work, socialize and play through virtual avatars.

From Los Angeles Times ● Sep. 24, 2026

The startup allows users to interact with AI-powered chatbot avatars ranging from real people like Elon Musk to anime characters and a generic therapist.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Sep. 18, 2026

Organoids are "biological models" or "avatars" for human brain cells that are far less complex and do not receive sensory input, she added.

From Barron's ● Aug. 19, 2026

In the extraordinary abstraction that follows, Thatcher finds her ideal role as one of NWR’s stilted avatars, gussied up in couture and spouting riddles.

From Salon ● Aug. 17, 2026

A concentrated, pulsing mass of ships and avatars covered the ground and filled the air.

From "Ready Player One: A Novel" by Ernest Cline

Related Words

• apotheosis
• archetype
• epitome
• exemplar
• expression
• personification
• realization
• symbol