Hindu

American  

[hin-doo] / ˈhɪn du /

Or Hindoo

noun

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

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adjective

1. of or relating to Hindus or Hinduism.

Hindu British  

/ hɪnˈduː, ˈhɪnduː /

noun

1. a person who adheres to Hinduism

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

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adjective

1. relating to Hinduism, Hindus, or India

Other Word Forms

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

Etymology

Origin of Hindu

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

Compare meaning

How does hindu compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• Hindi vs. Hindu

Example Sentences

At night she read Hindu religious texts with the youngest officer, who asked her to send him passages she found especially moving.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 30, 2026

In District 4, incumbent Nick Melvoin is facing off against Ankur Patel, director of outreach at the Hindu University of America.

From Los Angeles Times • Mar. 14, 2026

Mumbai has been celebrating the Hindu festival of Holi this week.

From BBC • Mar. 4, 2026

In the background, the Indian independence movement gathered pace, as did the rift between the country’s Hindu and Muslim populations.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 4, 2026

Like how three brothers who are adopted by three different families—one Muslim, one Hindu, and one Christian—could discover each other as grown-ups and team up to save a woman who gets kidnapped.

From "Amina's Song" by Hena Khan