Hindu

Or Hin·doo

[hin-doo]

noun

1. a person, especially of northern India, who adheres to Hinduism.

adjective

1. of or relating to Hindus or Hinduism.

Hindu

/ hɪnˈduː, ˈhɪnduː /

noun

1. a person who adheres to Hinduism

2. an inhabitant or native of Hindustan or India, esp one adhering to Hinduism

adjective

1. relating to Hinduism, Hindus, or India

Other Word Forms

• anti-Hindu adjective
• non-Hindu noun
• pro-Hindu adjective
• pseudo-Hindu adjective

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hindu¹

1655–65; < Persian Hindū Indian (adj., noun), equivalent to Hind ( Hindi ) + -ū adj. suffix

Word History and Origins

Origin of Hindu¹

C17: from Persian Hindū, from Hind India; see _Hindi

Example Sentences

Diwali is celebrated over the course of five days and marks the beginning of the new year in the Hindu calendar, according to the Smithsonian National Museum of Asian Art.

From Los Angeles Times

Thousands of Hindu pilgrims from India visit the temple every year.

From BBC

Last month, at least 46 people were killed in a village hosting Hindu pilgrims in Indian-administered Kashmir.

From BBC

I’ve studied Jungian psychology and Hindu Tantra — the energies of masculine and feminine, being and doing, birth and death.

From Los Angeles Times

India raised objections over the omission of any reference to the deadly 22 April attack on Hindu tourists in Indian-administered Kashmir, which led to the worst fighting in decades between India and Pakistan.

From BBC