Hindi
Americannoun
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the most widely spoken of the modern Indic vernaculars, especially its best-known variety, Western Hindi.
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a literary language derived from Hindustani, used by Hindus.
noun
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a language or group of dialects of N central India. It belongs to the Indic branch of the Indo-European family and is closely related to Urdu See also Hindustani
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a formal literary dialect of this language, the official language of India, usually written in Nagari script
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a person whose native language is Hindi
Etymology
Origin of Hindi
First recorded in 1790–1800; from Hindi, Urdu, equivalent to Persian Hind, Hindu (compare Sanskrit Sindhu “river,” specifically the Indus river, with the extended sense “region of the Indus; Sind”) + -ī a suffix indicating relationship or origin; replacing Hinduee, from Persian Hinduī; see also Sind
Compare meaning
How does hindi compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:
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.
"I have sent my resignation letter to the prime minister," Pradhan said in his letter in Hindi.
From Barron's ● Jul. 25, 2026
When contacted by BBC Hindi, Singh refused to talk citing threat to his life.
From BBC ● Jun. 26, 2026
His brother told BBC Hindi that Shazan had taken refuge in a washroom to escape the smoke but was unable to get out.
From BBC ● Jun. 23, 2026
Appearances included a Dubai conference where the digital double introduced itself in French, Chinese and Hindi from a big screen in a meeting room.
From The Wall Street Journal ● May 21, 2026
Rishi heard Ma in the background, speaking in rapid-fire Hindi.
From "When Dimple Met Rishi" by Sandhya Menon
Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023
Idioms from The American Heritage® Idioms Dictionary copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Company.
