Brahmin
[ brah-min ]
/ ˈbrɑ mɪn /
noun, plural Brah·min, Brah·mins.
Hinduism. Brahman1(def 1).
(especially in New England) a person usually from an old, respected family who, because of wealth and social position, wields considerable social, economic, and political power.
a person who is intellectually or socially aloof.
adjective
of, relating to, or characteristic of a Brahmin: the Brahmin attitudes of a true aristocrat.
Origin of Brahmin
First recorded in 1475–85; variant of Brahman1
Related forms
Brah·min·ic [brah-min-ik] /brɑˈmɪn ɪk/, Brah·min·i·cal, adjectivenon-Brah·min·ic, adjectivenon-Brah·min·i·cal, adjectiveun-Brah·min·i·cal, adjectiveCan be confused
Brahman BrahminDictionary.com Unabridged
Based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2019
Examples from the Web for brahmins
British Dictionary definitions for brahmins
Brahmin
/ (ˈbrɑːmɪn) /
noun plural -min or -mins
the older spelling of Brahman (def. 1)
(in the US) a highly intelligent or socially exclusive person, esp a member of one of the older New England families
an intellectual or social snob
Derived Forms
Brahminic or Brahminical, adjectiveCollins English Dictionary - Complete & Unabridged 2012 Digital Edition
© William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins
Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012
Culture definitions for brahmins
Brahmins
[ (brah-minz) ]
The highest of the four major castes of Hinduism. Brahmins are followers of Brahma and were originally all priests.
Note
The name is often given to socially or culturally privileged classes, such as “Boston Brahmins.”
The New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition
Copyright © 2005 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. All rights reserved.