Dalai Lama

American  

[dah-lahy lah-muh] / ˈdɑ laɪ ˈlɑ mə /

noun

1. (formerly) the ruler and chief monk of Tibet, believed to be a reincarnation of Avalokitesvara and sought for among newborn children after the death of the preceding Dalai Lama.

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Dalai Lama British  

/ ˈdælaɪ ˈlɑːmə /

noun

1. (until 1959) the chief lama and ruler of Tibet

2. born 1935, the 14th holder of this office (1940), who fled to India (1959): Nobel peace prize 1989

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Etymology

Origin of Dalai Lama

From Mongolian, equivalent to dalai “ocean” + lama “a celibate priest”

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

Dalai Lama

Xi's visit was the target of protests by dozens of Tibetans in New Delhi, exiles like their Buddhist leader, the Dalai Lama, who has lived in India since fleeing a Chinese crackdown in 1959.

From Barron's ● Sep. 13, 2026

It has labelled the exiled spiritual leader, the Dalai Lama, a separatist.

From BBC ● Aug. 28, 2026

In one of her last posts on the social media platform "X", she wished the Dalai Lama a happy 90th birthday.

From BBC ● Jul. 1, 2026

Some 150 miles from the Tibetan border, in Dharamshala, India, the Dalai Lama and the Tibetan government in exile stand as a vision of hope and inspiration to the rest of the world.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

If you don’t believe me, try making sense out of this pile of words: Who do you think I saw the other day the Dalai Lama said my aunt Minnie.

From "Woe Is I" by Patricia T. O'Conner