Dalai Lama

American

[dah-lahy lah-muh] / ˈdɑ laɪ ˈlɑ mə /

noun

(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.

Dalai Lama British

/ ˈdælaɪ ˈlɑːmə /

noun

(until 1959) the chief lama and ruler of Tibet
born 1935, the 14th holder of this office (1940), who fled to India (1959): Nobel peace prize 1989

"Collins English Dictionary — Complete & Unabridged" 2012 Digital Edition © William Collins Sons & Co. Ltd. 1979, 1986 © HarperCollins Publishers 1998, 2000, 2003, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2009, 2012

Etymology

Origin of Dalai Lama

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

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

See Examples For:

Dalai Lama

The stakes will be raised around the succession of the Dalai Lama, likely one of the most consequential religious and political flashpoints of the coming decade.

From The Wall Street Journal ● Jun. 28, 2026

Buddhist spiritual leader the Dalai Lama prayed as the leader of the elected goverment of Tibetans in exile was sworn in for a second term on Wednesday.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

The 90-year-old Dalai Lama, based in India since fleeing the Tibetan capital Lhasa after Chinese troops crushed an uprising in 1959, insists he has many more years to live.

From Barron's ● May 27, 2026

The Dalai Lama said he accepted the award with "gratitude and humility".

From BBC ● Feb. 2, 2026

Phil already gave me his Dalai Lama lecture.

From "Three Little Words: A Memoir" by Ashley Rhodes-Courter

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023